TENNIS FOR ALL | BLACK GIRLS TENNIS CLUB + KIMBERLY SELDEN

We always enjoy when the tennis season starts as we see our favorite starts hitting global courts. We also know that it’s a great sport that we can enjoy with family, colleagues, and friends old and new! We sat down with Kimberly Selden, Founder of Black Girls Tennis Club to know more about how why she created this organization, how she is making sure that youth and adults can into the sport and an upcoming event that will take place at Roland Garros.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into BGTC, I’d like to know more about your background.

KIMBERLY SELDEN: My background is an interesting path. I sit at the intersection of a lot of different industries. I started my career in fashion. I studied mass communications with a concentration in PR a minor in fashion merchandising. I moved to NY right after college worked for Custo Barcelona in PR.

I ended up working in production on the management side. I worked on NBA All-Star, and then went to creative, so I did the whole freelancer circuit for different award shows and live events. Starting in production management and landing on the creative side, working my way up from executive producers, assistant production, assistant production coordinator, associate producer, segment producer, and producer. I’ve played every single role, and I started to transition from there into the story side, and so I worked on a Food Network show as a story producer. I worked on Oprah behind the scenes as a story producer.

During that time, I randomly was asked to come to Niger in West Africa, about two of my friends were there schooling mission work – it was really random. So they met someone who got a license for a radio and television station. They naturally reached out to me because I was the closest one to that production world, so we had a break for the show. I moved to Niger for three months to start this radio station, which led to a television station. I ended up meeting the U.S ambassador and I came back - was in graduate school while on our second season of the show and my thesis became a real project, and I went back to Niger with a grant from the US Embassy. I got to speak at the US Embassy! We distributed solar power radios to villages. It was life changing to say the least. I’ll say that was a huge turning point for me where I started to use this term, social impact, and just realized the power of change.

I was doing a whole lot and in different countries in Africa. One of my friends had an Africa travel company, so I was traveling with her. I have worked on a number of campaigns and projects over the years!

I was living in NY this whole time and I moved to Virginia right before COVID. In Virginia, there were courts in my neighborhood and when I lived in BK the whole 10 years I was there, there were tennis courts in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. I always wanted to play tennis but didn’t know how to get involved. The Fort Greene tennis courts were kind of intimidating when I was in my hometown in Virgina Beach, that’s how BGTC got started. I walked past tennis courts everyday walking my down and I thought, we should start a Black Girls Tennis Club and that’s how it started. So, my career and my background have nothing to do with tennis, but everything to do with making a difference.

AM: And community!

KS: Our communities, and Black people. Like I said before, to me, it all comes together in a very unique and unplanned way. In fact, we’re going to Ghana in November, so even my passion for Africa is coming into the mix.

AM: Now that you have been running BGTC for a few years, did you think it was going to be what we’re seeing now from it?

KS: Absolutely not. In fact, I was really hesitant because we’re a non-profit and when BGTC started, I really was in a space where I wanted to build wealth. I didn’t see a pathway to that, and I actually wanted to build a boutique hotel like I was ready for the next chapter of my life either way, where I would be a little more behind the scenes. But this is essentially pushing me to the forefront. I’m a Founder and I had no idea at all. Now, I’m aware of the potential, but every day, I’m still shocked that I’m in this seat and that it has completely taken over right. I’m trying to do other things and I’m still getting pulled to really just focus on this, but I will say, you know, even though I want these other things, I I feel that my other wants and desires are being met through BGTC.

AM: What is BGTC because there is an adult track and then a younger track. And what is the goal of the organization overall?

KS: We are a 501c3. I like to call us a Social Enterprise. We have, free and low cost youth programming and adult programming and our mission is to liberate Black women and girls through play, and I say that because we really focus on joy, wellness, and community. Looking at my past and my whole time living in New York, if you asked me what my hobbies were, I would have said - going out to eat or shopping. I’m a recovering workaholic and I know from life experience that having a hobby is a luxury. I just know how important liberation is. Playing sports is a pathway to that, and I could go on and on about the benefits of girls playing sports economically just for their own wellness and joy. I just see this as a catalyst to joy, community, economic growth, and health. I don’t want us to be a non-profit that is viewed as they’re serving underserved people only. You know, our youth is expansive. Some are underserved, of course and some aren’t. We have kids that could go pro. We have kids that never touched a racket.

AM: What is your role like? I always say that the role of a Founder is one that is growing and it doesn’t really have a start or stop to it. What is your role and what is a day-to-day or week to week look like, for you?

KS: I see myself as the key vision holder strategist and leading Partnerships, and we’re figuring that out as an organization. I’m technically Founder and CEO. A lot of this, we’re figuring it out as we go. We have tried things that have worked and have tried things that haven’t worked. My goal is to raise enough money so that we can have someone in place. Whether that’s an executive director or whatever that title is that can lead the organization operationally, I know what my strengths are.

I am an executor and I am a visionary.

My day-to-day I have a lot of calls. I’m talking to a lot of brand partners. I’m talking to our board members. Tennis season has started and I went to Palm Springs twice. My day. It’s a lot of emails. I don’t even know the amount of emails that I send per day. We have a we use Monday, which is like a project management tool. I’m always approving. Between social media like I’m approving Graphics, I’m getting and I’m sending decks to people. I’m giving direction, I’m delegating.

I might be going to Indian Wells. I have a call later today about an Arthur Ashe documentary project, so it’s a lot of exciting things. It’s a lot of things that I’ve never done before.

AM: I know you have a few chapters. You have the one here in New York, and there’s others. Can you tell us about these chapters?

KS: We launched in Virginia, and so in Virginia, every year we do a free summer camp and we have some adult programming. We were actually pushed to launch in New York because of our Challengers event with Zendaya (Dune franchise, The Drama, Euphoria). It’s really exciting for New York, so we have yearround programming in New York, because we have indoor courts right, too. We’ve had some programming in DC. We do Citi Open every year in DC. DC is a great meeting point because that’s a middle ground for all our board members to come together. Last year, we had an in-person board meeting there.

I’m actually in La, so we had fun LA event. We’re gearing up for La. I’ve been meeting with, YMCA Crenshaw and Compton United School District, so LA’s been on us. I think I feel a lot of pressure from every part of the country, as well as outside of the country to launch. There’s a whole back end that goes into it. If I look at our pillars which are care, access, representation, and exposure, there’s different reasons to be different places.

Logistically and operationally, I just have to move with care as well, and make sure that we have what we need in place so that our team you know isn’t overwhelmed. And I want people to be connected and be able to find people to play with, because if I’m being honest, I still didn’t solve my original problem which was I wanted to play tennis more. So that’s where technology comes in, and we’re working on that as well.

AM: Well, for the New York chapter, what are some upcoming events that are taking place here that you can share?

JS: We have Pop Up and Play. We just had one in February. We have another one at the end of the month of at our indoor ports at Sun East which is in Manhattan. We’re up in the Bronx at Stadium Tennis for Cardio Tennis. We have our Foundations Clinic coming up, which is 4 consecutive sessions that cover the basics of tennis at Brooklyn College. We have 2 courts of that. That will be announced in the next 2 weeks. We have Cardio Tennis Pop Up and Play Foundations. We’re going to have Sunset Saturdays coming up. That’s going to be from May through the end of August. I don’t know what we’re doing for US Open, but we’ll of course have activations during US Open. So, we’ll have weekly programming almost twice a week in New York. It’s been growing every single year, and we’re going to do a Big Girls Day of Play in Brooklyn, May 31st. We’ve been wanting to do more youth programming with our partners and we always do Juneteenth at Fort Green with The Layout.

AM: The French Open is coming up and you guys are actually going to be at Roland Garros, tell us more about that.

KS: We are working with a tennis travel company, and so this is a trip that opened up that people paid to go on. It sold out within 2 weeks. At first, we wanted to start small, so we had 10 spots, but we had to open it up, so we have 20 Black women and girls going to the French Open. May 23rd, through the 26, and this year is actually the 70th anniversary of Althea Gibson’s historic win at Roland Garros.

A lot of people going on the trip, they’ve never been. It’s a bucket list item. It’s our first trip and we’ll see how it goes. I’m thrilled, and I, I know, it’s going to be an amazing time, and I can’t wait to like be in community with everybody.

AM: So they’re going and they’re also having tickets to go to the French Open as well?

KS: Exactly! It’s gonna be epic, so that’s a pretty big deal.

AM: Well, are there other things that you haven’t talked about that you want to share?

KS: Something that I’m really passionate about is what we do on Martha’s Vineyard. This year will be our third year on The Vineyard. Oak Bluffs is this historic Black neighborhood on Martha’s Vineyard. We’ve been working on a short documentary project about Black tennis history, and it’s such an epic story and the story. Is it really documented in a significant way, and so it all started because my friends actually posted it in a Facebook group because we were looking for our house and people in the group saw BGTC, and they all started chiming in, like, “oh my God,” my mom used to play in the Mary Tucker Invitational. Oh wow, my dad was in Oak Bluffs.

Naturally, as a producer, my wheels are turning. I’m like, we need to capture this. I just started doing more research. Martha’s Vineyard is beautiful, being like the month of August is just amazing. You know, a lot of the Black sororities and fraternities, all HBCU’s have events. It’s just a sight to see. Obviously, Ralph Lauren did their Oak Bluffs collection, and so there’s been a lot of attention drawn to this historic island.

My first time going was just a couple of years before we went as an organization. It’s such a fun trip and so we do activations we do about 3 events. This year, I think we’re doing 3 or 4 events now and I hope that we’re gonna be finishing our documentary this year, and my plan is to enter it into the film festival that happens on the vineyard. So, we’re planting roots there. This year, we’re actually working with a group in Boston to bring a group of girls down, for a day trip, and so that’s something that there’s certain things that I know will do every single year U.S Open, of course. Martha’s Vineyard, Citi Open is a big one for us that I mentioned in DC. We’re also doing Ghana which I hinted towards earlier this will be in November and we will take Taylor Townsend, who’s one of our honorary board members. There’s a new tennis club called the Accra Backyard Club. That amazing architecture was built by our artists, who has this incredible tennis story that is just so inspiring, so we all want to see it. And as you know, my ties to the continent, I’ve been trying to find a reason to get us out there.

We’ve partnered with other orgs out there. They just had a woman’s tennis tournament that we’re gonna be covering. We’re going global, and I see us as a global organization.

Martha’s Vineyard, I’m really passionate about and want to tell those stories and I don’t want them to get lost. It’s really cool because one of the tournaments that went away the Oak Bluffs Tennis Club and Tournament, my now friend Gatsby Karam is bringing that tournament back this year.

AM: Wow!

KS: It hasn’t happened in over 10 years. He got permission from the family to bring it back and the first person, they told him to contact was me. So you know, we’re in cahoots together to be in support of each other, so I’ll be covering that. And to me, that’s the perfect ending to the documentary.

IG @blackgirlstennisclub

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Kimberly Selden

Read the MAR ISSUE #123 of Athleisure Mag and see TENNIS FOR ALL | Black Girls Tennis Club + Kimberly Selden in mag.

HAPPINESS IS THE REAL GOLD | ERIN JACKSON + JORDAN STOLZ

Although the Olympics have complete this cycle, we still have a few stories from the Winter Games 2026. We sat down with Erin Jackson Team USA Olympic Speedskating Gold Medalist to talk about her love of the sport, how she got into it, competing at Milan-Cortina and more.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with speed skating, and what do you love about this sport?

ERIN JACKSON: I actually loved this sport for as long as I can remember. You know, some of my earliest memories of skating were just up and down my driveway and the little plastic skates. So it started out as just a hobby for me. I didn’t have any dreams of being competitive in the sport. I just started doing it because I loved it. So that was my intro which was through roller skating and then roller skating led me to inline skating and then inline skating led me to ice skating. So, yeah, it was just kind of a, I guess, a very natural progression, but it did just start with the love of the sport and the love of the hobby I guess!

AM: I mean, there are so many things you could have done! Why did you decide that figure skating wasn’t the thing, but speed skating was?

EJ: I actually did go that route first, so I did what’s called artistic skating. And that’s like figure skating, but also on roller skates. Who knows? That that could have been where I ended up, but my coaches in artistic skating they actually moved away to pursue figure skating on Ice for their daughters. Their daughters ended up competing in Sochi, I believe.

AM: Wow!

EJ: So who knows? Maybe I could have gone that route, too? But when they moved, I just let that be the end of figure skating.

AM: Well, what does an average week look like when it comes to training for upcoming competitions?

EJ: So we train six days a week, most days, it’s two training sessions. One of those days, we’ll have three training sessions one of those days, we’ll have one training session, but we’re training most the time. It’s kind of like a full-time job, so we’ll have a morning session for probably 3 hours or so, and then rest in the afternoon for lunch and then come back and have another session later in the day.

Normally skating once a day, and then the other session can be, you know, like, bike intervals, or, you know, cardio or weightlifting or something like that.

AM: We were just going to ask about three workouts that you do to optimize for this particular sport? You kind of just answered it. Our minds are still wrapping around six days a week. I mean, clearly, that is what you have to do.

So this past Olympics marks your third, where you were competing in the 500 meter and the 1000 meter? What does it mean to you to be able to compete on such a global stage?

EJ: It’s a really cool honor, I guess, like just being part of the Olympics and just being able to be part of this really large thing where people from all over the world are coming to do the thing that they devote their lives to. We all just come here and do it together. It’s just a really cool community aspect, you know, part of this large community of Olympians and Team USA. And it’s, yeah, I feel like that’s the best feeling of it, just like doing it all together.

AM: What did you love most about your experience this year, and you know, being in the Olympics, and are you thinking ahead to 2030?

EJ: Yeah, I am thinking of 2030, yeah, I couldn’t imagine stopping the train at this point. I definitely want to keep going with all the progress I’ve made this season, and I really want to carry that forward. Some of my best memories from this games were a toss-up between watching my teammates this time around, because for most of them, it was their first Olympics. It’s getting to see all the amazing firsts that they were experiencing and then also watching other Team USA events, like with athletes from those sports. You know, they can give a lot of insight and like behind the scenes info about the scoring and sometimes even the drama in the sport. So, yeah, that was a really cool thing too.

AM: Well, you are part of Happiness as The Real Gold Hershey Campaign, which is so fun to see that and to get to see other aspects of you while you’re talking. Why did you want to be involved in it? And what does happiness mean to you? And where do you find it?

EJ: Yeah, the Happiness is The Real Gold Campaign, I feel like was a really important thing to get out there in a really important message, because it can just like remind athletes and just people in general that the people in your lives who love you and care about you like, they’re gonna love you, no matter what, because what they really want for you is happiness.

AM: Yeah.

EJ: Your achievements are just kind of a bonus for that. I feel like it was a really great message and one that was really heartfelt and emotional campaign, especially with having our families involved. I was really happy to be a part of it.

IG @speedyj

After chatting with Erin, we caught up with her fellow Team USA Speedskater, Jordan Stolz. We wanted to hear from him about his passion, a successful Winter Olympics, and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: How did you come to the sport of speedskating and for those that are not familiar with it, how would you describe it to them?

JORDAN STOLZ: I would describe it as a sport where you are constantly trying to keep progressing and a sport that is very satisfying when you improve. The feeling of being able to go fast on turns is a feeling that I can’t get anywhere else! I can’t get it in a car, I can’t do it on a mountain on a bike – it’s something that is very surreal and I think that people get addicted to it!

I first got into it because of Apolo Ohno (G2, S2, B4) back in 2010 and I was watching him compete and it was the first Olympics that I had ever watched in my life. I was just really into it and it caught my eye with the way that he was passing people. It was like a showman and I asked my parents if I could start skating and I actually started with my sister on our frozen pond in our backyard. We shoveled a track and ever since then, I have been doing pretty good.

AM: What are workouts that you find beneficial for speedskating?

JS: I would say a lot of cycling. The number 1 thing that changed for me is when I spent a lot more time on a bike. The weight room too – just building up your squats. You have to have power on the ice. You want to combine those two, but you don’t want to go too far with either one. You don’t want to be this cyclist that weighs 130lbs, but you also don’t want to be a body builder and then you would be super slow on the ice – you’d have too much weight. It’s kind of factoring all of that in to work with the mechanics of skating and the technique. I have found that to be the most beneficial for me.

AM: What were the Opening Ceremonies like for you and what does it mean to you to compete on such a global stage?

JS: It means a lot to compete for Team USA on the Olympics as a global stage and to win 3 medals, the highest medal count. That means a lot, not just for me, but for speedskating itself and the whole country. It’s great that I can bring more awareness to speedskating as it’s such a cool sport and I’m glad to be able to do that.

I didn’t walk the Opening Ceremonies, but I loved watching it on TV when I was in the Village.

AM: When it’s your gameday, do you have or do anything that gets you into the mindset to compete?

JS: I try to relax a lot and not to think too much about the races. I want to be able to get into the zone before getting into the rink. Before that, I like to chit chat with people, sit in bed and watch some reels, and then I can get out there and be ready!

AM: You had an amazing Winter Games 2026! You won a Gold in the 500 M and then another one in the 1,000 M - the first American male to do it in the same Olympics since 1980 and you got Silver in the 1,500 - you also made 2 World Records - what does it feel like to leave the Games with those accolades?

JS: It means a lot especially to have my name attached to Eric Heiden (5G) and it means a lot to be thought of as a successful speedskater in Olympic history for the US. I hope that I can continue to progress and do better going into 2030 and this is just one of those stepping stones. When I went to Beijing, I didn’t win any medals there and then 4 years later, I trained a lot and the World Cup had a lot of experiences and then I was able to come here to the Olympics in a very prepared way! Who knows what can happen over the next 4 years? Hopefully something very similar and I am feeling very good about the results that I have had this entire season and not just the ones that took place at the Olympics. I’ve been skating some fast times and had great track records.

AM: In your downtime in Milan, how did you take time for yourself to reset between competitions?

JS: It was just – there wasn’t a lot to do in the Village, so it was about laying in bed and trying to relax and focus.

AM: You partnered with Hershey’s For the Happiness Campaign. Why did you want to partner with them and what does Happiness is the Real Gold mean to you?

JS: I wanted to partner with them because they are a huge household name company. Having that name tied around you at the Winter Olympics really special. It’s the highest achievement that you can have as a speed skater. First of all going to the Olympics, and then being able to win a Gold medal, with the name Hershey’s behind you – that just means a lot especially how they support my family in general. It’s authentic and I feel that they really put the truth behind the slogan that Happiness is The Real Gold. They are 100% right about that!

AM: Now that you are settling in post Olympics, are there any projects or upcoming competitions that we should keep an eye out for?

JS: I have the World Champions coming up – the World Sprints and the World All Arounds – it’s a combination race. It’s kind of like the 2nd thing to the Olympics if you are considering the Netherlands view. They view it super seriously here. I think it’s really cool and I will compete in both and try to win both of them. It will be fun and really hard! Everyone wants to hear if I will be doing anything in cycling and that’s probably not going to happen because I will be focused on skating.

IG @stolz_jordan_

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | Hershey’s

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THE ICE KING | JACK HUGHES

What does it mean to be part of a dynasty and how does it begin? This month’s cover is riding a major moment that although he struck the Golden Goal, when asked about it, he will always reflect on the fact that the win is a culmination of a team win and one that could only take place with the combined efforts of them working together to break the dry spell since Team USA Hockey back in 1980 while pushing the sport as a whole further here in the US as both the Men’s and Women’s team swept Gold! We sat down last month with Jack Hughes and interviewed him days ahead of him heading to Milano Cortina for our JAN ISSUE #121 where we talked about his passion and love for Hockey, how he trains for the sport, his Olympic debut and how he prepares for game day. It was clear from our interview with him last month that he is someone that we will continue to talk about for years to come.

As we all watched copious hours of Olympics coverage, Hockey was always top of mind for us to watch at Athleisure Media. For him to debut in the Olympics and to play alongside his brother Quinn was amazing. We know that the Hughes brothers are dynamic as a trio as they all play in the NHL and Jack plays for the NJ Devils alongside his brother Luke! If we look at the concept of team, as Jack always says when talking about the success, we have to look at a major team element – his family.

This family affair doesn’t stop there as his mom, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes is a former ice hockey player who competed internationally for the US Women’s National Team at the ’92 Women’s World Championship, where she obtained Silver while being named to the tournament’s All-Star Team. When she stopped playing professionally, she was an advisor to Norway’s Women’s Hockey Team in ’94, she has reported on Women’s Hockey at various Winter Olympics, as well as for ESPN and she was has been a consultant most recently at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina where the US Women’s team took home Gold. Although she never had the chance to play in the Olympics, as Women’s Hockey was introduced in 1998 for the first time, the US Women’s Hockey team has medalled at every single Winter Games since it debuted! His father, Jim Hughes is a former Hockey player who worked at Toronto Marlies and Toronto Maple Leafs. His family and love for this sport is such a life line to Jack and how he looks at the sport!

Jack Hughes is this month’s cover for our FEB ISSUE #122 and as the Golden Goal took place, we were thrilled to know that we would be seeing him at the first home opener post the Olympic win! We made our way to the Prudential Center in Newark, home of the NJ Devils. After the whirlwind of activity that he has been on, watching him during the celebration toasting his win once again solidified his team mentality; and the Sport! As the entire stadium cheered him on, when he hopped on the mic, he accepted all the love that was being given to him while also making sure that Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Padres who played that night at this home game also shared the spotlight with him as well! This camaraderie is what we love to see in the sport and makes us understand his greater vision, it’s about growing the sport and highlighting the efforts of the elite men that have the privilege to play it.

We spent a number of hours at the stadium for the first home game post the Olympics from the celebratory portion of the program, the game, heading to the locker room, and continuing to the post game conference to hear from Coach Sheldon Keefe and Jack himself on the epic moments that led to the Golden Goal, celebrating, coming home to NJ, and looking ahead!

Coach Keefe shared with us that even in the midst of Jack coming back from the Olympics and the festivities, upon his arrival, “he just got here before the game – right before pregame. He began with our different meetings, going through preparations to play, and media obligations.” Even with everything that has been going on, “he made some good plays and posts that put us in some good spots.”

He even reflected on the tribute to the Team USA Hockey and the fact that Jack highlighted Tage Thompson who was also on Team USA and played for that night’s opposing team, “I thought it was tremendous and I think it’s a good sign of his character to do that. It’s acknowledging that it’s not all about him and obviously, there’s a lot of things that go into him having the moment that he had, score the goal that he had and for his teammates to be here for that tonight, I thought it was appropriate. I don’t think he was planning to say that necessarily, I think it was Jack in the moment, but I mean, I thought it was a tremendous gesture by Jack for sure!”

Much like Jack’s focus on the team, Coach Keefe also acknowledged the efforts of the organization, “I think all the way around that the tribute was exceptionally done. I thought our organization and our operations team pulled that off on short notice! To have the fans there was amazing! Coming out to the ice tonight, it was very clear that there was an extra buzz in the building. It was a wonderful reception all the way around!” He continued by letting us know that the win as a whole was well deserved for Jack, Team USA, the state of NJ and the country as a whole. “This moment is well deserved and it’s not just for Jack, he’s representing his country, he’s representing our organization, and he’s representing the sport of Hockey.”

Hearing from Coach Keefe, we were excited to sit down with Jack to dig deeper into his Olympic experience. Although the game was on 2.22.26, the final day of the Winter Games, the past few days leading up to the home game we attened had a number of celebrations that he got to share with his Olympic team. He laughed while reflecting that, “it’s been some of the best 3 days in my life probably. I’ve had so much fun with this group of guys!” As much as he had an amazing time, he’s also very present in the moment as he acknowledged that, “it’s nice to get here with the team and get back with my teammates,” at the NJ Devils.

For days we have been talking about the Golden Goal and have seen the videos as it’s an epic moment. For those that may not be familiar with Hockey, the Golden Goal is a sudden-death winning goal during overtime to instantly end a tied game. It denotes a Championship winning goal and was last done by Sidney Crosby in 2010 and now by our Cover Star, Jack Hughes!

We wanted to know more about what led up to the moment during overtime. Listening to Jack share these moments was like being in a film reel and seeing the moments through his eyes. “Obviously, by the time you’re in that locker room, there are so many alphas in one room. We all believed in ourselves as well as who we were as a group.” He explained that they all felt that it didn’t matter who got it, but that someone from there team did, “we were just happy to get it done and the belief in that room was what was going to carry us.”

In terms of the actual moment, this was the play-by-play that we really wanted to know about. Seeing the video and hearing all the think pieces are great, but listening to Jack share it with us as if it was happening in that moment was something that was inspiring to hear. “You know, I get goose bumps watching the video now just because the emotions are so raw, and it means so much to every single one of those guys! I just remember that the goalie shot out at me hard and I couldn’t really see the puck go in initially, and the puck didn’t even shoot out of the net. It hit behind the camera so I just turned the corner, and I saw Dylan Larkin – the first guy I saw, just sprinting up the ice and I just couldn’t believe and I was so proud of our group!”

Once again, it’s worth noting that even when we were talking about his moment and how he felt, he always incorporated the importance of team and what it meant to everyone involved. That feeling that is so intrinsic to his core syncs up to him talking about Tage during the pre-game ceremony on the ice. “When I was told that they were going to do a little celebration before the game you know, I was laying in bed before my nap (Editor’s Note: last month Jack shared his THE 9LIST STORI3S GAM3DAY routine with us and we know how important his naps are) and I was thinking about Tage. I will never be about one person and it’s always about the team and that group of guys. To share that moment with Tage, I hope that when he has his first home game in Buffalo, they do something for him and I really hope he’s playing one of his American teammates and he does the same thing! It’s all about the USA Hockey Brotherhood – that’s what we are.”

As we know, the game took place on the most global of stages – the Olympics and on the home opener of the restart of the 2025-2026 season, you could see that there were so many emotions and the fans in Jersey got the chance to feel close to that kind of win. We wanted to know what coming back to where he plays means and how that moment has that extra layer.

“I really do love living in New Jersey and playing in New Jersey. I got drafted as their first overall pick and I just feel like they accepted me so deeply - I’m their, guy. I come to these games and every time I drive in, all I think about is when I see people walking at 4:30pm with huge jerseys on and I’m unrolling my window and screaming at them and they love that you know? To represent New Jersey and our fans, I’m so proud to be a Devil. I’m so proud to play for the Blitzer family, the Harris family, and the Fitzgeralds. These people, they mean so much to me, so to represent them through all this - New Jersey means so much to me!”

While many are focused on the activities that took place during the overtime goal and what it means in terms of how his life will change, Jack always looks at the bigger picture! “A lot of cool people have been reaching out and that’s important, and they have supported me. But the fact that I’m on a USA Hockey Championship Olympic Gold Medal Team it changes all of our lives – all of the teammates. We’re Champions and we’re Olympic medalists and we’re the team that broke the run of not being able to win! To break that streak and win a Gold medal, it bonds us forever as Olympic Gold medalists. As Hockey players, we did our job. We went over to the Olympics and won a Gold battle. We also have so much respect for the Women’s Hockey Team and they have so much respect for us and we’re all just proud Americans and we’re happy that we both swept the Olympics.”

Going back to the ideology that Jack is steeped in the concept of the power of the team the propulsion that takes place when you have a village that facilitates and supports you, we brought it back to family. Coming from the Hughes Dynasty and the dynamics that are involved, how does this Championship win play into that portion of his life? “First of all, just bringing that Gold medal home - my parents have put in so much work with us. They’ve been everything to us and the 3 of us, we have everything to thank towards them. We’re just so proud to represent them and represent the Hughes family name. Obviously, everyone’s parents mean so much to them and the support, love, care - we’re just so proud that we could celebrate that moment with them. One of my favorite things is my dad’s reaction. I don’t even know if he was kissing Keith Tkachuk or what was going on up there, but they were all so excited for us and we celebrated in Milan with them afterwards. It’s just unbelievable to share that moment with my family and my brother, and so many people that helped us get to this point.”

As we enjoyed spending time with Jack post game and look ahead to the back half of the season, there are a number of great moments from Mike Eruzione who scored the iconic game winning goal for the US Hockey Team in the 1980 Winter Games, Sidney Crosby who achieved the Golden Goal for Canada against the US at the 2010 Vancouver Games, many feel that this Golden Goal will also be talked about for generations to come and even studied by those coming up in the game! But for Jack, “It’s just a moment. It’s an unbelievable moment of my life, but It’s all about the team. I’m looking forward to the times we’re going to enjoy. Hopefully, every year we get together and enjoy that moment but for me it’ll never be about the Golden Goal, it will always be about 3 weeks at the Olympics, that we’re Champions, and what a special group that it was!” He also noted that the Tkachucks said, “It Takes a Village. It Takes a Village,” with the equipment department in the locker room, “from every guy in the group to friends and family that have supported us. Representing your country is the best and this is something that you dream of, but when it happens, you can’t even describe what it feels like. I’ve said it a million times, I’m so proud to be American and so happy that we could get the job done!”

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | FRONT COVER + PG 31 NJ Devils | BACK COVER + PG 16 -47 Paul Farkas shot with SONY Alpha |

Read the FEB ISSUE #122 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ICE KING | Jack Hughes in mag.

HAPPINESS IS GOLD

We made our way to Olympic Week a few days ahead of the Opening Ceremony taking

place for the Winter Games in Milano Cortina courtesy of Hershey’s for their Fireside Chat at SOHO House’s LES destination, Ludlow House. We had the opportunity to sit down to hear from Paralympic Team USA Snowboarder Amy Purdy (1S, 2B), and Olympians Team USA Gymnastics Aly Raisman (3G, 2S, 1B), and Team USA Figure Skating Jason Brown (1B). The 2 of them participated in a panel moderated by Hershey’s at the Hershey Company Senior Brand Manager, Katrina Vatter to talk about their Happiness Campaign featuring US Olympians. We heard about their athleticism, their passion for their sports and how they enjoy the happy moments that take place on and off the podium.

KATRINA VATTER: We are so pleased to be with all of you during Olympic Week and to have you here! I’m so honored to be doing my dream job and having a dream moment right now being here! Coming into this role, this brand has been around for over a 100 years but I felt that we have had this opportunity and this moment to bring what we do into the relevancy of today! Hershey’s has always stood for happiness. But for us, now more than ever, as we look around the world you see where we want to get happiness – this is where we got to to get to this campaign!

We knew that this campaign is a moment where folks are really striving hard for an incredible accomplishment and you know, happiness is really the goal here. This is an important moment to celebrate the achievements, but also to look at all of the hard work along the way. You can see the film that we created with our Olympic and Paralympic athletes and then we’ll have a nice chat with our athletes to talk about what happiness means to them and what it is sparking for them as well as we launch this campaign.

It’s my distinct honor to welcome our esteemed Olympians and Paralympian. Give it up for Jason Brown, Amy Purdy, and last but certainly not least, Aly Raisman. Thank you for being here again and thank you for participating in what I am deeming is a heart to heart on a Tues that looks at happiness and the meaning of life. The ability to have the balance\ to strive for something that you are really passionate about but then finding those moments along the way that make everything worth it.

To start us off, I’m a mom with 3 kids and I’m curious to hear how you guys got started on this journey? When you entered into your sport, what were those initial moments of pure happiness? My daughter’s dabbling and skating a little bit of gymnastics, and she just seemed like pure joy out there, and I know at some point that shifts into the competitive intensity, but I’d love to hear from you. Jason, what were those initial moments on the ice like for you?

JASON BROWN: So I fell in love with skating, cuz I have an older sister, and she took skating lessons, and it led to the annual ice show at the local rink. I saw her in that ice show and I saw all these kids skating to music in costumes, expressing themselves together, having so much fun. And it just was, like, I want to be part of that world, and I want to be able to express myself and I want to speak to music and I want to work hard to perform like that, and it just was like that pure happiness and joy that I just instantly gravitated towards.

KV: I love that!

AMY PURDY: I grew up in Vegas, which is not exactly where you expect a professional snowboarder to come from, but my family skied. I was horrible at skiing, but my friends snowboarded, and the first time I got on my snowboard, I just felt freedom like, I’ve never felt before. My sister was a cheerleader, so I was trying to be a cheerleader, and I didn’t make it. But then I found myself, I found myself. I found my friends. I found my passion it made me feel alive. I’d snowboard every day after school, which we had a lot of snow outside of Vegas at that time. I literally found myself and I knew that it was something that I would want to do for the rest of my life, didn’t know I would go on to compete, had no idea I would lose my legs at 19, and then go on to compete in the Paralympics so, but I just knew that I wanted snowboarding to be a part of my life in some way for the rest of my life, and it took me places that I never could imagine.

ALY RAISMAN: I started gymnastics when I was 2, and I just fell in love with it. I started with Mommy & Me classes, and I just can remember that I would daydream all day about going to gymnastics practice. And then, when I was 8, I watched the ‘96 women’s Olympic gymnastics team, and it was on a VHS tape, and I just watched it over and over again. I loved it and I think part of the magic of being a kid is that for me, it felt like there was no dream that was too big, and so I watched them. And at 8 years old, it didn’t occur to me about how hard it would be to get there, and that it was so difficult to make it. Now there’s only five gymnasts on that team, so it’s just there’s so little room for error. But at that age, I just sat in front of that couch and watched it over and over again, and I loved it. And I knew I, that was my passion. And I wanted to be out there. When I look at little kids doing gymnastics now to see the joy they have it just brings me back, and it makes me so happy. You know, my hope is that every kid has something that they love and makes them so excited. Whether or not that is sports, but I think about if every person in the world has something they were passionate about and they loved, I really think the world would be a much better and happier and more healing place.

KV: I love that. I love what all you guys said, that thread of, I can be free - I can finally be myself in this moment, kind of lose yourself. I think that’s so powerful. As you shift ahead, then to your Olympic/Paralympic journey, what were some of those things those comforting elements along the way that either took you back to the beginning or would help ground you as the competitive intensity would get started?

AP: I think one of the things that always kept me grounded was visualization. So, I’m a huge visualizer, I’m sure all athletes, are. You really need to be because you need to be able to see yourself win, you need to be able to see yourself perform in the way that you want to perform. And even when I lost my legs, I was laying in the hospital bed, visualizing myself snowboarding again, and I thought so vividly, and it makes me emotional to think about. I didn’t know how I’d do it, but I knew that I would. And then I did, and so I just kind of took that visualization into everything that I did standing in the staircase at the Paralympic Games, like visualizing every single move that I wanted to make, or even the night before, when I would get nervous and I think about, I’m going to make a mistake and I’m going to mess this up. You’re feeling the pressure, the world’s watching, and I’d just go back to visualizing. I would take some deep breaths, remember why I was there in the first place, knowing the impact that it makes to actually just be there and get the opportunity to be there. I would also just visualize as a means to ground myself for what I want to do and how I want it to feel and then kind of just letting it happen. So for me, that was very much a pretty nice grounding practice.

KV: Thanks so much for sharing and it’s super inspiring to hear that even in these very difficult moments, kind of like envisioning how you want it to be, how you want it to feel. Jason, how about you?

JB: I mean, there is as you mentioned, so much visualization that goes on. And even when Ali was talking about just that, seeing the kids at the gym for me, you know, as we get older and as the goals get bigger, we can get this tunnel vision and this focus and just be on the ice with it’s better just aspiring to better themselves. There’s just this unbridled joy around them. For me, when you’re skating to music, it’s like they’re skating to whatever song like warms their heart, and they’re just like running around the rink. Seeing the kids have that camaraderie with their friends, and that always brings me back to why I am in this sport. We have the opportunity in skating to perform in shows and that is another outlet where, when that focus on competition gets really heavy - you have that opportunity to express yourself to different pieces of music, explore yourself and who you are in different ways. That outlet is just so special and unique to the sport.

KV: The outlet piece or the balancing the intensity of the competition is a great element to highlight. It is something to see the unbridaled joy of children when they’re doing sports. It’s so fun to see the world, through kids eyes.

Ali, how about you?

AR: I loved both of your answers! I’m trying to think about something else that has helped me because both the visualization and then also just being around kids and seeing their joy has really helped me and impacted me, I think. Also, for me, being honest with other people - my support system about what I’m experiencing and what I’m going through. I think people tune in and might see the highs and the exciting moments of us competing at the Olympics, but there’s so many days where I don’t feel my best or I’m having a tough day, and so I think leaning on people in my life that I can go to for help and support, where I’m having a tough day or I’m just feeling a little bit off has been really critical for me in my gymnastics career, but then also post gymnastics career is just knowing that I’m not alone. And I think when I was younger, it was when I was competing in 2012 and 2016 that you know anxiety and depression wasn’t as much of a conversation as it is now. It’s still very stigmatized, but it’s still too many people are suffering in silence, but I think, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve really realized that when I’m vulnerable with my friends and open about what I’m experiencing it, it feels scary, but it also allows other people to open up and share what they’re experiencing and then, I think we form a deeper connection and relationship, and then I can feel like I’m getting better from it and able to work on myself in a way, and so I, I think leaning on my support system and being honest, especially in a sport like gymnastics where a lot of the things we’re doing are very scary and very dangerous. So I think communicating with my coach and letting him know if I felt a little bit off or felt like I might need a little bit more of a spot on something one day was very important, because, it’s hard to be at your best all the time. And it’s impossible. So I think allowing ourselves that Grace has been something I’ve had to learn and work on and being okay with asking for help and being comfortable with that, I think, has been one of the biggest gifts I’ve given myself is just letting go of this perfectionist mentality or having to be the best because I think being courageous and brave is being able to ask for help because we all deal with stuff. We’re all human.

KV: Thanks so much for sharing that. I think that’s super powerful. I feel like sometimes there’s always this pressure to be fine. But really, that power in connecting with somebody and opening up, helps you realize that you’re not alone and things like that.

As you think through where you guys started from and then heading into our Olympic/Paralympic Journeys, how does the definition of success change for you? What did success look like for you in the beginning, how did that evolve over time, and what do you think about it now after all of your accomplishments and achieving the heights of your athletic careers?

JB: Oh my gosh! It’s changed drastically I think throughout every experience. You know, when I was younger and still to this day, but my parents, I’m so grateful, celebrated everything. They celebrated every win. They celebrated every loss. Because of skating, I got to travel the world and compete all over. And we saw the world, you know when I would go to an event good bad, however, you know what? We took the next day to really explore the city that we were in and, and that’s something that I really don’t take for granted. And we did that when I was. young, traveling the Midwest. I’m from Chicago, and like we would be in Iowa and we’d see the city there, or if we were in Des Moines, or wherever we were. We really took the time to explore that place and I think that it really grounded me. But also, there was this level of happiness and joy that this sport that I loved was this vehicle to see the country and to see the world.

As I got older, of course when you have that tunnel vision, you have those goals. It gets harder and harder, and you know you want to grip on tighter and tighter. Having that reminder and having that perspective that my family always gave me in those tough moments win, lose, or draw - you wake up the next day you, you’re hungry for more. And I think what’s so incredible about this campaign, but also about that search for happiness is that it’s, it’s a constant thing that we seek that we have at times that comes naturally that we also struggle with.

You know, Ali talked about that anxiety and that pressure and being able to say I’m not okay, I’m not happy. How could something that I love so much, also tear me down in some moments, and how can I struggle with something and be okay with that? Being able to share those moments and it’s a constant learning experience.

It’s not something I think that we ever master or ever reach. It’s a constant striving to grow, learn and adapt. And I think that, as I got older, and the more I achieved, the more I learned that you just keep waking up hungry for that next experience.

AP: Well, I love what both of you guys are saying and along the same lines, so for me, how happiness has changed, and maybe success has changed. So I think earlier in my career going into Sochi, I put so much pressure on myself that even though I loved my sport and I loved what I was doing, I felt the pressure and that took some of the happiness away because I felt like this is my first time to show what we can do as Paralympic athletes. It was the first time that snowboarding was a Paralympic sport, and I was kind of the one to watch. And I was, like, I’m still trying to figure out what I’m doing myself, you know, and I hope I do good. And so, I put all this pressure on myself. I’d see myself on billboards, and I’d see myself on like, you know, in magazines and all this stuff, and I would just get so nervous, and so then, going into my second Paralympic Games, I thought I don’t want all that pressure. I just want to enjoy the ride. I just want to enjoy it because I might not have it forever. I know I won’t have it forever, and so I loosened up. I allowed myself to just be present and enjoy the ride. And then, now I am retired. And I would say success for me now is not trying to be the best, which is kind of as a perfectionist self that I’ve had to overcome, it’s trying to take care of myself, the best. And when I do that, then I show up as my best self. When I can sleep good, eat good, relax, listen to my body, listen to my mind, and let that pressure go. It’s really hard as athletes because you’re competing against each other. Even though you’re on a team, so you don’t necessarily feel like you can always open up to your teammates about what you’re going through, so you’re kind of like this furnace, you know, like, ready to combust, sometimes with all this pressure that you feel, but being able to really focus on self-care. Like now, if I’m not comfortable, I don’t want to do it. I used to be uncomfortable all the time. I’m pushing my comfort zone all the time. And now, I’m like, no, I can actually sit back, take care of myself, and enjoy what I’m doing. I can be present and make sure my head’s on straight, like that, feels like success to me to have that breathing room and to be able to do that.

AR: Can I ask you, what age do you feel like you got to that point where you felt comfortable prioritizing how you feel?

AP: Okay, so I’m 46 now, and I will tell you what one of the best things about aging is that’s what comes with it, because even I think when I was 40, so I actually got injured, severely injured, injured my left leg that knocked me out of my sport and everything until now. I’m still kind of working my way back, and it was really hard because I still wanted to show up. I still wanted to compete. I still wanted to be the best because I felt like I was at the top of my game when it happened. And then I had to learn some real acceptance of, like, I’m not gonna be what I was and really be able to do it. I was grateful that I didn’t, but then with that came this aging thing that, you know, so many people, especially women complain about right now - of how it feels when you’re in your mid-40s in your mid 50s. But for me, there’s a sense of calm that I appreciate so much. I don’t feel like I have to compare myself with anybody else. I’m proud of my accomplishments. There’s more than I want to do. There’s just this calm confidence that I’ve never felt in my life, especially being an introvert. I honestly think it’s also just age, and it’s something that we can really look forward to. And I find myself more happy in the little moments now.

KV: I love hearing all of this and as we’re passing out some golden chocolate medals to you now, I would love to hear from you guys in your Journeys, whether growing up or at the Olympics and Paralympics, what was a moment where you’re like, no one knows about this, but like this deserves a medal! What are the small things that epitomize what it means to be happy along the way?

AR: I think I was pretty good at pin trading. Did you guys do that? It’s really cool, because at the Olympics, you have your credential and you’ve got pins, and not everyone speaks the same language. So it was really cool to be able to communicate with athletes from around the world and to trade pins, and I just loved it. And then you get to have all these really cool memories, and I became very competitive with it, and I loved it so much, and it was just a really nice, healthy distraction.

And then, I’d also say, my favorite moments from the Olympics, I love this Hershey’s Campaign because it really is meaningful to me when I think about my Olympic career. I’m not thinking about the podium. I’m thinking about really the fun times with my teammates, and we all still have such a great relationship, but we would laugh so hard when we weren’t at the gym, and we really, you know, when we’re at the Olympics, we’re in the Olympic Village. We’re training, eating, and sleeping. That’s it. And we just, it was, like, laughter, was the best medicine for us, at least for me. I can’t speak for my teammates. I was so stressed, and so to have that just being goofy and silly and just having fun together. I just cherish those moments so much because it really helped me stay grounded, and so the pin trading and the friendships that I made, I think, are my medal moments.

KV: I’ve heard about this pin trading situation. It sounds amazing and like the perfect balance to everything that you guys are experiencing.

AR: Do you guys have pins?

KV: We don’t! Next time for sure, we have to!

AR: Ok for LA the Summer Games for LA28!

KV: It’s happening!

Amy, how about you?

AP: I missed out on the pin trading in Sochi because I was so focused on competing and I didn’t realize that everybody was doing this whole pin trading thing until I went to my next Games!

It’s not really a moment, but I think it’s everybody who supported me on the path like they should get the medals because there was so much that went on behind the scenes that people don’t realize. I think about my doctors who saved my life, my kidney transplant doctor allowed me to do things that most transplant patients can’t do. I traveled the world, and you know, he knows that. So, he’s like, part of my team. I had engineers working on my legs. Prosthetists who make legs, literally working hundreds, if not thousands of hours on my legs, to get them comfortable enough for me to snowboard again. So for me, I think I’d turn the medal to give it to everybody who supported me on the journey.

JB: Truly what you guys both said, I wish I was a better pin trader to be completely honest. I was so nervous to go up to anybody. When I went to my first Olympics in 2014, I was just so star struck. I felt like a kid in the candy store! Just everything and everyone, I couldn’t believe that I was a part of something that I had grown up looking to. But what Amy said, it’s that support team. Many people don’t realize how much truly goes into it. You see these medal moments or you see these moments when we’re out doing the sport that we love and a lot of the times, it’s like game face on and you’re locked in. But like people don’t see all those scars or all those long days or all the good and bad moments and highs and lows that go into that. I think that those moments of perseverance, those moments of growth where you learn so much about yourself - and your team that unconditional support from them regardless win, lose, or draw. They’re like there the next day, being like, okay, how are we gonna turn this around, or maybe get better or learn from this moment? Or, and we’re here to celebrate. And I think that those are the moments that people don’t always see.

KV: I’m just curious if there’s any words of wisdom that you would give to your younger self or those striving to be where they want to be?

AR: I would tell myself to trust my gut. I think that we live in a world where at least I noticed this with gymnastics, where, from a very young age, I was kind of taught if I finished a cartwheel - I would immediately turn to my coach or the judge for approval, and I think along the way, I forgot to think about how it felt for me first. Because it’s a subjective sport, I was always seeking outside approval. I’ve just seen over the years, whether it’s parents or coaches and well meaning people. When a kid says, you know, oh, my foot hurts, or I’m kind of tired. They’ll say, no, does it. You’re fine, or they’ll push them to keep going.

And you know, sometimes, when we do ask for help, we don’t always get the support that’s important. So, to not give up until I find someone who does support me and does believe in me. It’s also about doing what makes me feel calm, gives me peace and prioritize what makes me feel good and be okay with saying no, which I’m still working on.

JB: I constantly struggle with the ability to trust my gut! I still, every single day, I’m fighting that battle, and like, trying and as Ali mentioned skating, being a subjective sport. There’s so many people giving so much input all the time that it’s very easy to lose your way in situations so huge, huge one.

I think another big thing that I learned along the way is there’s no one path. I think that we sometimes fixate on do X, Y, and Z - it will get to a certain point and I think that sometimes it’s A, B, and D. There’s just no formula in that sense, but if you are doing something because you’re passionate about it because you love it because you’re driven and motivated, that’s the formula to success, because as we have discussed today, the definition of success has changed drastically through our lives and what we think we want or what we think will be that definition or that defining moment, isn’t or may not be. I think some of the my lowest moments or some of the times where I haven’t trusted my gut and it’s gone poorly, I’ve grown the most because I’m never gonna do that again, and it’s taken me places that I never thought I could imagine. So, I think those are big things that I would definitely tell myself.

AP: I’m kind of along that journey as well. It’s not about the outcome talking about happiness and trying to find happiness. It really is the journey, and it really is finding purpose in the journey. If you can live in a way that you have purpose every day, a drive, whatever it may be.

Like what that taught us? It was just having this driven purpose is really what created so much happiness for myself, and so I would just ket my younger self know that that it really is in the pursuit of happiness that you find happiness, not once you win that Gold medal.

We truly enjoyed being able to hear from these 3 athletes while enjoying a very cozy lunch. We were given some time to sit with them to delve more into what they talked about on the moderated panel, as well as a few questions that we had that we know our readers and community would like to know more about as they were all heading to the Olympics as Aly was experiencing her first Winter Games, Amy is one of the Olympics Team USA Creators for the Olympics as well as the Paralympics, and Jason was a first alternate for Team USA Figure Skating.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We enjoyed hearing you guys on the panel and I’m glad we have some time to chat as our readers/community are always happy to hear from their favorite athletes and I have a few additional questions.

Happiness means what to you and where do you find it?

AP: I’ve just learned it’s not really about the outcome. It’s not about, like reaching the thing that you’re going after. It really is having purpose, so if I can wake up and have purpose in my day, that makes me take action that keeps me busy. That keeps me moving towards something that’s meaningful. That’s where happiness comes from for me. And I’ve even found it in my darkest days, so I severely injured my leg years ago. I already mentioned that, but, in some of my darkest days where I wasn’t walking at all, and I went actually a couple years like that. I had 10 surgeries in a 3-year time frame. I wasn’t walking at all and I didn’t know if I was going to walk again. I definitely didn’t know if snowboard would happen again or any of that.

AR: I just think that’s really powerful.

JB: How you said purposeful action! I think that combination, because I think you can feel like I have this purpose, but you feel stuck. I think that feeling of actually taking the action, taking the steps to move towards something whatever that might be, whether that’s that athletic goal, whether that’s a mission that you have or honestly, a relationship, and any in any given way.

AR: Those answers were so powerful. I really appreciate what they both said, and I think it’s really feels like what you guys are saying is such a value-driven answer and so meaningful. I really think about the fact that I’m almost 10 years out from competing, which is a really long time, and I think I’m sort of at a point in my life where I don’t think about my gymnastics career all the time, and I think for a long time my worth was defined by how I did or didn’t do, and I was so devastated and so hard on myself. If I didn’t do well. I try to think about if I Googled myself and deleted everything on there, who would I be and what would I be doing? I think when I try to really give myself time to reflect on what makes me happy - who am I with, What am I doing, where am I an really reflecting of even going to dinner with friends. Do I feel good about myself after? Does it feel like a really meaningful relationship? Do I feel really drained, or what are the types of things that I want in my future, and what am I doing to get there?

I also saw this thing online that said, if you were a movie and everyone was watching, what would they be screaming at you, telling you to do? I just think that’s really powerful.

JB: Oh my God!

AR: I tried to also give myself Grace and realize we’re all human. We all have good and bad days, and I think as long as we are trying to be in alignment with what’s important to us. I think that that’s a recipe for success, and I think success means something different to each of us. But for me, now, it just means waking up and feeling peace and spending my time with people that are just really good people. And then I can learn and grow from, like, you guys.

AM: The Olympics and Paralympics is such a global stage that you have all done. What did you love about doing that, and what are you looking forward to and looking at? I mean, we’re days away from 2026, which is exciting.

JB: I think for me. I think the fact that you get to share what you love to do with the world is so special. I think that is something that’s so rare and beautiful about the Olympic Games. I think that’s a reason why there is so much pressure to get yourself there because you know how not only rare of an occasion, it is, but also how badly you want to do what you love on the biggest stage and really get to share your passion with the people around you! As I’ve gotten older, and as I’ve experienced more, I think you do realize that you’re able to do that everyday. Like, regardless of an Olympics or not, but I do think that heightened attention is also something that you just, you just also know, and everyone around you. There’s a different energy and a different intensity and a different focus and a level of –

AR: Scrutiny?

JB: That too! It’s interesting, too. I think it. It brings out the best and the worst. I think it tests you and it challenges you and it teaches you. And sometimes, it’s like magic happens and sometimes you fall. It’s really tough. I think that’s the beauty of the Games.

AP: Okay, the very first Games was incredibly special because it was the first time that snowboarding was in the Paralympic Games. Snowboarding was my passion before I lost my legs. I lost my legs below the knees when I was 15, and all I cared about was snowboarding again. So I went on a mission to figure out how to do it, and I ended up building my own feet to snowboard in because there weren’t any feet at the time for snowboarding. And I knew the motion that I needed, and so I like built a pair of feet where I took like an ankle from one brand and a foot from another brand and turned the ankle around backwards and added all this wood under the heel and a bunch of duct tape, and I realized that I could snowboard with prosthetic legs.

At that point, my boyfriend, who’s now my husband, but we started a non-profit organization called Adaptive Action Sports so that we could help other people with disabilities snowboard, and through that we were able to help to get snowboarding into the Paralympic Games for the very first time. So we really kind of in the US, headed the charge to get snowboarding into the Paralympics. So, then, to actually be at the Paralympics in the start gates, thinking of everything that I went through to get there, even walking out in the Opening Ceremonies that was incredibly euphoric and emotional because I thought, oh, my gosh, it took losing my legs to get here. It took every little step along the way and we created a sport, literally created a sport, and it’s here, and there’s people from all around the world competing in it. It was just the most powerful experience to go, we did it, and you can create something that doesn’t exist and you can. And there’s people who believe in you and there’s other people doing it. And like, you can have a vision and actually have it come to life on the biggest stage in the world! What a cool life experience to know that you can put something out there and make it happen. It wasn’t just me, but like, collectively, make something happen that didn’t exist before. Now to sit back and watch because now snowboarding has been in the Paralympics and will be in it’s fourth Paralympic cycle.

I did 2 out of the 4. Now, I watch all these athletes from around the world like, it’s just grown. It’s taken on the life of its own. There’s athletes, I don’t even know. It’s, like, I mean, it’s unreal. The level of competition is huge. So for me, I get to be a super fan, and like I was a part of the beginning of it, and now I get to sit back and just be like, you know, in awe of what the athletes are doing so. I’m just really. I’m proud of it. I think I’m in a spot where I get to be, like, proud of it because we helped to create it and let it kind of launch and do its thing.

AM: That’s amazing.

AR: I’m going to be in Milan, so I’m very excited, and I feel so grateful that I get to be there to watch. It’s my first Winter Olympics getting to watch in person. So I think for me, this it also kind of, I think, allows me to really reflect on my own career, so I’m really looking forward to watching it and just being able to try to be present and just take in. You know, I think that in the Olympics you use this word and I use it too - there’s so much magic, and I think it really brings people together from around the world, and it’s a really beautiful thing that I’m really looking forward to is to be able to cheer on athletes from the US, but also from other places around the world and to hear other people’s stories and experiences and to see sportsmanship and to see so many wonderful stories and I think positive with social media is that we’re not just now hearing about the athletes that are on the top of the podium, we’re learning about athletes who you know in Paris, there was someone that was going viral for eating a muffin on TikTok.

ALL: Yeah!

AR: My teammates call me Grandma because I never know what’s what’s happening, but there was someone talking about eating muffins. People are now being recognized, not just for their performance, but for their sportsmanship. And just like their personalities and who they are, and that was really not the case when I was competing, and so I really like that because it’s too much pressure. And I think it’s not right to only showcase athletes who are winning, and I think the fact that we can really get to know who these athletes are and to hear about the amazing charities and organizations they’re starting is really wonderful. And that’s what I’m excited about it. I think this will hopefully be a pinch me moment just to be able to be there in that experience, and I’m really looking forward to it.

IG @alyraisman

@amypurdygurl

@jasonbskates

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Hershey’s

Read the FEB ISSUE #122 of Athleisure Mag and see HAPPINESS IS GOLD in mag.

CURLING NATION | MATT HAMILTON

For the past decade or so, we have been fans of curling. We find it so calming to watch the stones glide across the ice, while also feeling all of the anxious feels of the frantic sweeping that takes place. It’s such a fun sport to watch and we’ve always been fans of Matt Hamilton, who as a member of the Men’s Team USA Curling where he helped secure the first-ever curling gold medal for the US at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games, and he also competed the following year at the Winter Games in 2022.

We took some time to hang out with Matt to talk about curling, dynamics of the game, his partnership with Swiffer, and how important it is to him to grow this sport, which has been on the rise!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Matt, it is so good to connect with you! We are such a fan of curling. Love the sport, seeing you play, and it’s good to talk with you today.

MATT HAMILTON: Thank you! It’s a lot of fun to play. So you should, you should find a place and get into it. It’s way more fun than just watching.

AM: Whenever it’s on, it’s always something that we love watching. It looks like it’s a lot of work to see athletes really working those stones to get them across the ice. So, I don’t know how good we’d be on that front, but we love the camaraderie and the emotions involved!

When did you fall in love with curling, and when did you think about it as a career?

MH: So, I fell in love with curling - I first was exposed to it in, like, 2003, my dad was doing it, but I was like a 12-year-old kid. So, like, what is Dad’s doing, that’s an old man’s sport?

AM: Right.

MH: I don’t want to play that and literally, a couple months later, one of my buddies asked me if I wanted to do it. So then it was like, oh yeah, it’s cool!

AM: Haha right!

MH: Absolutely. Sorry, Dad. It just took a little extra push. And I would say it would have been four years after that. I got picked up on the defending US National Junior team and we ended up going to Worlds that year, and we won the World Championships. So, that’s when I was kind of like, these are all my peers, like if I can beat them now, as long as I stick with it, there’s no reason I can’t beat them. You know, in an Olympics, if I, if I ever make one, so I just got to make sure I keep practicing stay with it. That’s when I was like, convinced I wanted to do it. I will say there’s there’s no such thing as a professional curler in the United States.

AM: We can imagine.

MH: Right? I have a regular job, then I have curling, and I have social media stuff. I’m definitely a regular guy, I have a fairly normal job, I work on radio and I have my own radio show (Editor’s Note: Jim, Matt, and Molly is an afternoon sports-comedy radio show on 100.5 ESPN Madison as well as being available as a podcast – the hosts are Matt, Jim Rutledge, and Molly Brown). It’s, it’s fun to say, I’m a professional curler, but if you want to be correct – it’s semi-pro because curling is not as lucrative as basketball or football.

AM: Well, that is true.

For those that may not be familiar with the sport, can you kind of tell us about the mechanics, and what position you play and how do you score points and ultimately, how do you win?

MH: So, during the 2018 Olympics, I was the second, which means I throw second. There’s 8 stones per team, and you alternate throwing. Right now, what they do to start the game is they throw a draw, which is like a rock that stops in play.

They try and run as close as they can to the center, and then they measure it, and whoever gets the closest gets to go last, which is called the hammer. It’s the last shot. If you have the last shot, you should score. That’s the theory behind it. There’s these 12 foot rings, and it looks like a target or a bullseye. One of the big misconceptions is the rings don’t mean anything like being right in the middle of the bullseye is no different than just barely touching the edge. The goal of the game is to get as many of your rocks closer to that middle, then the opponent’s closest stone.

AM: Right.

MH: So if you don’t have any in the rings, mine could be anywhere they’re worth a point. The rings are actually there visually during the game as you’re strategizing how to score and where to put rocks. I can look down from the top and try and visually see which one’s closer. If it was just a big circle with a hole in the middle, it would be very hard to tell. So now, those rings are just like reference points so I can make that quicker decision at which one’s closer and why I would play one shot versus another.

AM: We always like asking when you have athletes that are doing a particular sport, what are the workouts that you do to optimize yourself in that sport? As mentioned at the top, there is a lot of upper body strength that’s going on, and so are there things that you do for that?

MH: For me and my position at second, I’ll throw 2 of the 8 rocks, but I sweep for the other 6.

AM: Right.

MH: So, there’s a lot of, sweeping involved, and it’s way more physically demanding than most people think. Maybe that’s a credit to us, like athletes everywhere, like when you’re very, very good at something, you make it look easy. That’s definitely the case in curling with sweeping. So for me, it’s a lot of back, shoulders and pectoral muscles. So I do obviously work on everything. Your legs are important because you gotta drive out of the hack (Editor’s Note: A rubber block embedded in the ice at each end of the rink, which curlers use to push off from to gain momentum for their delivery). The core strength for balance, and maintaining while you’re sweeping which is super important.

Well, the biggest thing I think is different about curlers is a lot of, like interval training, so sweeping is something you do during the shot, right? A shot could be up to 30 seconds long, so you might have to be going in like sweeping as hard as you can for 30 seconds.

AM: Yeah.

MH: You know, I would say to anybody, do something physical for 30 seconds straight, like you will be out of breath!

AM: Right!

MH: The other team has to throw, and then you’re right back at it. So you might have to sweep another one right away for another 30 seconds. You might have to throw, and then you have a finesse shot something where you need a lot of finesse and touch. If your heart rate’s at a buck 60, it is not easy to throw that finesse shot - you got endorphins and adrenaline running. Like, that’s not easy. So for us, it’s a lot of interval or circuit training where I might not go with the highest weights, but I’m gonna go for a minute doing whatever. Maybe it’s rowing as fast as I can, and I’m going to take about a minute to try and recover, and then do it again or go to the next exercise, and do that for a minute. So rather than rep based, it’s time based workouts.

AM: We have such a respect, because when we’re watching it, you see all of that and although it would be great to try it, we realize there is so much sweeping across the ice. Ours arms ache every time we see it as it is very intense, but it’s very cool.

MH: The beauty of this partnership that I’ve got with Swiffer is that I sweep really hard when I am on the ice, but when I’m at home, I don’t need to sweep that hard with the Swiffer it’s way easier. I prefer sweeping at home, then I do on the ice, that’s for sure.

AM: Plus, when you guys are on the knees and going in, we always think about people with knee issues. But it is so exciting to watch it and even with all of the action and the precision, it is very calming, while being aggressive as you mentioned with the intervals on and off.

So you competed in 2018 at the Olympics and won Gold, and you also competed in 2022, and you have a gold medal as well. What does it mean to you to play on such a global stage at the Olympics?

MH: It’s an honor and it’s such a privilege to get to represent the United States and with curling being such a unique sport, what other sports do you have the athletes mic’d up where you can hear everything that I am saying and I am not wearing a helmet. You can see my face. You can see the expressions and I really feel like our sport really shows the emotion and feelings of players, in game. Having the opportunity to represent, like myself, on the world stage, but also like the United States and trying to convey that we’re regular people and really awesome people that just want to put on a show and play at a high level, I think it is great. Pressure is a privilege, so having that opportunity - there was a lot of pressure, but it was thrilling and I wouldn’t obviously change it for the world.

AM: Although you’re not competing this year at the Olympics, do you plan on trying again for 2030?

MH: I’m a little up in the air on that. I think I have the juice to keep going. The problem is, I think, some of my teammates are going to retire and I’m an old guy, so I don’t know how much young guys are going to want to play with an old dude. We’re gonna see how things shake up. The team that went to the Olympics are good friends of ours. I actually talked for like an hour with a couple of the guys, just like how to pack for the Olympics, things to expect, how I dealt with media, and social media. People can be pretty brutal on social media too. I gave a good fair warning, and so hopefully they’ll ask me to play with them next year, but who knows? It’s up in the air. I think I’d like to play, but I’ve got a lot of, life changes coming up. We’ve got a kid on the way.

AM: Oh, congrats!

MH: My first one! I’m super excited about that. So we’ll see how that carves my time up. I don’t want to go into a potential Olympic run and not be able to give it my all. There’s a lot of things that I’m weighing back and forth right now.

AM: Well, you clearly have a passion for the sport. How are you working to pass it on to that next generation? When we think about when we first heard of curling, which has been over a decade as we started watching in 2012 and to see where it is now - a lot of people are aware of it and are playing it. Truthfully in the beginning we were always looking for Matt with the hair. What are you doing to keep people aware of it and to encourage them to play it?

MH: I mean, part of it is just playing it and self-promotion. I got a lot of good followers from the Olympics and because curling is always on my mind, it ends up being on my timeline. So I think that really helps. Getting that Gold medal and seeing the way curling blew up in the United States – I think that after the 2018 Olympics, there’s 10 to 15 new curling clubs that popped up in the United States. 8 or 9 of them were all in the South where you would not expect a curling club.

AM: Wow, not at all!

MH: Texas has a couple Arizona’s got one, Southern California’s got a club. Both the Carolinas have a club. Florida’s got a group, so like places you wouldn’t expect an ice sport. They are picking up and getting into curling, so being on the forefront of that curling explosion in the U.S. It’s been amazing so! Basically, what I tell everybody. It’s an amazing game. You can use it as something to get through the winter, that’s why my dad did it. He didn’t really like bowling, so it was a good way for him to look forward to something each week and get through the winter and it makes the time go by. Or, you could do what I did and be like, I’m all in. Yeah, I want to practice every day. I want to hit the gym. I want to travel to Canada, Europe, and Asia for curling tournaments and everywhere in between. There’s so much room for athletes of every level at curling that it really is such a great sport, and it’s so inclusive.

There’s common interest in the sport, but part of like the roots of the game is, when you’re done, you sit down with the other team and talk about life. Talk about the game, talk about curling the camaraderie. You kind of feel that sense of family with curling outside of just your direct teammates, so that’s what I think is really the most appealing part and why I would pitch this to people. If you’re looking for some of that camaraderie, meet new people in a town or just try something new, it’s just unparallel.

AM: And you mentioned Swiffer earlier, what does that partnership look like, and what are you doing with them?

MH: So super excited! After the 2018 Olympics, I would get people who dressed their kids up like me, and I got videos of people throwing random things on ice and using a Swiffer to sweep in front of it. So, when they finally contacted me, I was like, it’s about time!

AM: Exactly!

MH: This has been a match made in heaven for a long time. I was super excited, and they came here to my house. We did some filming, and I would spill stuff, and I used their Power Mop to clean up some of my messes. There’s no movie magic going on there. I just use the mop the way you normally would, and it was fantastic. It picked everything up and I got to try the new exclusive one, which is 10,000 scrubbing dots to help you pick up all the dirt and grime, and it does exactly what they advertised it to do. It is, it is an all-in-one cleaning system. So, I’m stoked on it because I got a bunch of stuff down in the basement for a future messes, but it was a great time and we cut up all the videos and I’ve seen them all and they’re hilarious. They’re very much my taste and show my personality, but the sweeping on the ice and sweeping at home is just so similar, and it’s just hilarious how this all worked out. I am so fortunate to be able to work with such a great group like Swiffer, because not only they’re quitting products work great, they see the humor in it and we had a great time!

IG @hamscurl

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 94 ©2022 – IOC/Michael Smith – All rights reserved | PG 97 ©2022/International Olympic Committee (IOC)/PARR, Abbie (photographe Beijing 2022) |
Read the FEB ISSUE #122 of Athleisure Mag and see CURLING NATURE | Matt Hamilton in mag.

PUSHING THE LIMITS | MARK MCMORRIS

This month, we end the year with a cover star that we are very excited about who is the most decorated snowboarder in X Games history, with 24 medals (G11, S10, B3) as well as being a 3X Bronze Olympic Team Canada Snowboarding medalist - Mark McMorris! He is known for taking to the snow in Slopestyle, Big Air and Backcountry as he truly has a passion for his sport! His love for it has taken him all over the world, whether he’s competing or doing stunning films such as his latest PAVED in collaboration with Red Bull and Burton, that are both sponsors of his! He has additional coveted list of sponsors as well as including Oakley, Dove Men + Care, KLM Airlines, and Toyota to name a few.

We caught up with him ahead of some phenomenal competitions including Rockstar Energy Open that took place this month, X Games next month, and the Winter Olympics 2026 in Milano Cortina, Italy - for his 4th appearance - just for starters. We wanted to know more about how skateboarding led to snowboarding, the styles of snowboarding that he enjoys doing, the importance of competitions, how he approaches training, the upcoming season, and how he gives back through the McMorris Foundation!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We know that you enjoy skateboarding. What took you from that sport and drew you to snowboarding?

MARK MCMORRIS: Honestly, we went on a family trip and my brother and I are 2 years a part and my mom was about to have us go on a ski lesson and we saw snowboards for the first time! They were on the wall in the rental zone where you would sign up and get your gear for your lesson. I had skateboarded the entire Summer before and I thought, “I want to stand sideways, I want to be able to skateboard on the snow.”

Thank God our neighbors on our street were skateboarders and kind of got me into that and hooked on that! If not, I might have went into ski lessons! I’m very thankful that I became a boarder and it is a huge kudos and thank you to skateboarding!

AM: At what point did you think that you wanted to go pro and really do this as a career?

MM: I think when I was 12 or 13. I knew that I had potential and that I loved nothing more than being able to snowboard and to be up in the mountains with my friends. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I was definitely plotting that I would be able to stay in the mountains and to enjoy this and to do it for the rest of my life! I didn’t know what avenue I was going to go, but I did have my mind made up that I wanted to snowboard for the rest of my life.

To do so professionally was the dream. I mean, when you’re super passionate about something, it’s crazy how hard the human can work towards it!

AM: 100%!

You’re known for Slopestyle and also Big Air, can you tell us about these disciplines and why you are drawn to them?

MM: Slopestyle is a combination of rails and jumps – kind of what you would see around every single snow park. Most resorts will have a couple of jumps and a couple of rails. That’s what a lot of kids grow up doing in that freestyle of things of riding. There’s less and less half pipes nowadays. Where we grew up in Western Canada, there wasn’t many half pipes if any! So, that’s kind of what I was drawn to and obviously, I liked catching big jumps.

So, catching Big Air, is just one single jump. Slopestyle is a combination of jumps and rails which we really love and are drawn to. That’s kind of what you would see in the movies and things like that. So, I have always had a big love for it, and still do!

AM: Clearly, snowboarding is a full body sport, but do you find yourself doing other fitness methods or workouts that help to optimize you when you are doing this?

MM: For sure! Having mobility and strength in those deep ranges will keep you less injury prone, will make you be able to stay on the mountain longer – so strength and mobility are kind of the 2 bigaboos and I work on those daily. Especially as I get older, it’s always been very important to me and I came up during a time where my elders were like, “you have to stretch and you have to do gym work.” If you want to be a pro, you have to be a pro athlete and you have to have fitness and that kind of strength to be able to do it at the level that we are doing it and to of course have that kind of longevity! You want to try to stay out of that rehab zone!

AM: From what you can tell as we’re talking to you as you’re preparing for the Rockstar Energy Open in Breckenridge – how is it different than other competitions that you have been in as I know this is their first debut in snow.

MM: Yeah. I think it is really exciting that there is a different kind of contest that is happening in an Olympic year where it’s usually very regimented. It’s nice to be able to switch it up and kudos to them to get a unique group of riders together and to have a very unorthodox, fun, creative course that we would normally not see and to have a fun twist on things! I’m really stoked to be here and it’s nice to have this break in the season. You’re still competing and you still want do well and you’re making a plan and trying to do a run. At the same time, it feels a little more laid back and you’re not chasing points to qualify for the Olympics or going for broke on some 80’ jump – it’s all fun sized and extremely creative.

AM: You have the X Games coming up as well as the Winter Olympics. What’s a week of training look like when you are focused on competitions like that. Are you doing anything different?

MM: A week of training during a major competition like the X Games or the Olympics, is a lot of planning around when the practice sessions are. You’re trying to peak at the right times, trying to get the rest you need – when you have a day off, maybe you’re going to do a lift then. Most of the time, it’s a lot of recovery and mobility, breathwork, thoracic spine, and things like that – trying to just keep the chassis in tip top shape. Trying to eat clean and prioritizing a good 8 hour rest, things like that.

I would say that on non-competition weeks, you’re lifting more weights and doing harder gym sessions. But the practice sessions are a ton of impact and a ton of mental stress. So when you get off the hill, you’re in the gym, but it’s more about spinning, recovery, mobility, eating clean, and sleeping.

AM: Wow!

You’re one of the most decorated snowboarders and with the X Games being a few weeks away, what do you love about competing there and what are you looking forward to?

MM: The X Games has been so amazing for my career! I have had great success in Aspen and I love the town – it’s a special place. I can’t say enough good things about X Games and Aspen – it has truly built my career to what it is. I’m just thankful that I am still doing it and my first X Games was in 2011 in Aspen –

AM: Which is crazy because that’s veteran status there!

MM: Yeah, 15 years now! I’m thankful to still be going out there, I’m thankful to still be able to have a shot at winning. I’m feeling healthy and happy and I’m really excited to be able to get back there!

AM: This will be your 4th Olympic appearance. What does it mean to you to represent your country, participate in the opening and closing ceremonies, and to compete on that kind of global stage?

MM: It’s an honor to represent your country! Like you said, it will be my 4th time around which I am extremely proud of. There’s not a single male that I competed with in 2014 at the Sochi Olympics that will be at the Olympics in Italy. I am proud of that longevity and I am proud of the hard work that I have put in. I am really looking forward to going out there and doing my best and riding to the best of my ability. I really feel like that if I do that, I have a good shot at some hardware. I’m excited for family and friends to be around because the last one in 2022, it was quite COVID’d out. It wasn’t a ton of spectators.

When I go to an Olympics, it’s always been pretty focused mode – horse blinders on. Not really like taking in a ton – you’re just kind of focused on what you’re doing. I actually went to Paris for the last Summer Games and it was a lot of fun to be able to take in an Olympics and not to compete! I could just be a fan and I really enjoyed that! So I’m excited for friends and family to come to get that experience and obviously, as I get older and mature more, I know that there is a lot more to life than that, but I will definitely be locked in and focused and I will try to enjoy it as well as the pizza and pasta as well!

AM: Pizza and pasta – that’s our language right there!

MM: Yup! If we’re going to get a big work in, you get to have a carb load!

AM: As someone who has competed all over the world, you have filmed all over the world, are there 3 places that are your top destinations to snowboard in that you can share?

MM: It’s really hard for me and I guess I’m biased, but I will say that Western Canada has got to be in my top 2 if not 1! I think Japan is a place that if you love to ski or snowboard, it’s a must! Anytime after the New Year to late Feb, it’s really hard not to score there. It’s a really special place and it’s neat to go there and to experience that culture. I spend a lot of time on the glaciers in Europe during the Fall for training and I like spending time in Switzerland, Austria – places like that! I really like Italy – their mountains are amazing and the people and the culture are also amazing there. I think that the Alps, Japan and Canada are my 3 favorite places to go.

AM: Because you do travel so much, are there 3 items that you like to take with you that make you feel like you’re at home?

MM: Yeah! You know I return to the same spots a lot over the last 15 years. Something that always comes with me is this little portable blender and then I have juicers all around the world at the places that I stay! Then, there’s my roller! Like I bring that in my carry-on because sometimes I get off the plane and when I am waiting for the next flight, I can just roll my back out and it’s such a good feeling – I love it! I would say that those are obviously my essentials – I mean clearly there’s my passport and things like that.

But the things that I bring that I like, my portable smoothie, I have juicers everywhere and my roller!

AM: What do you think has allowed you to have such longevity in this sport?

MM: I think what has helped me to have such longevity in this sport is keeping a good circle of people around me. Keeping friends, family, agents, and managers that keep it fun for me. That’s really important and people that want to work hard and succeed, you need to surround yourself with people that have like minded goals for sure! Then there’s my overall passion for snowboarding, my love for snowboarding has been something that has definitely pushed me and helped me to elevate my career. My love for the community of snowboarding, and how thankful that I am that it has given me the life that I couldn’t have even dreamed of. It has literally been something that I couldn’t have even dreamed of. It’s really important for me to try and to give back. We do that with the McMorris Foundation and things like that. We just try to break down the barriers of entry. I think that giving back to a community that has given you everything is really important with longevity. Also not just competing my whole career – it’s also breaking off and doing some films and just not doing the same thing constantly – it has kept it fun for me!

AM: You mentioned the McMorris Foundation that you started with your brother, Craig, did you think that it would be where it is at today?

MM: No! Honestly, I’m so thankful that we did it as far back as we did. It kind of seemed like we weren’t big enough to have a foundation when we started it, but that’s not true. We got to meet some incredible people and some generous people and have had quite a big outreach. We’ve had connections to other athletes, we’ve got to do some amazing things and to raise tons of money and I feel like we’re so lucky and have been able to play hockey, to play baseball, to snowboard and to do this and to do that. It taught us a lot in life. You can learn a lot through sport and I want every kid to have that experience and it is something that is near and dear to my heart.

AM: When you’re not competing, how do you take time for yourself?

MM: Um, I am a huge sports person so even when I have time off, I’m engaging in sports whether it’s surfing, playing hockey, skateboarding, going to sporting events! Obviously, spending time with my family – we all like to golf. I like to chill with my friends really and just doing normal stuff. I definitely like to try and experience some of the places that I have been lucky enough to go to, but it is so work focused. So I prioritize that more by going on trips to see places and really immersing myself in the culture which I quite enjoy. It can be like I said, like horse blinders sometimes when you are going to these places and you have such a goal and it’s like work – well it is work because you’re grinding. So, I want to experience these places and more things and those places that I love. I’m a huge food guy, I love food from different places around the world. So I really indulge in that when I can!

AM: You’re also known for snowboarding in the backcountry and last night, we watched PAVED.

MM: Nice!

AM: Yeah, it was the best 42 mins of our time last night watching this in prep for this interview!

MM: Sick! That’s really cool to hear – thank you!

AM: We’ve snowboarded and we are nowhere near your level, but we do like doing it to go out a bit and then to have drinks after.

But watching you and the other athletes in the backcountry at locales around the world was really great to see as we are fans of theirs as well. Tell us about this movie as we know it was done in partnership with Red Bull and Burton and why did you want to participate in this?

MM: I mean, it was a little tricky timing in terms of being in such a big year coming up. It was something that is so important to me in being able to have such a presence in the backcountry and the film world. It was really cool to hear that you watched it because you see how cinematic it is in the backcountry and how it looks. Of course it can look a little scary sometimes.

AM: Oh it was terrifying to see the ones in Alaska – couldn’t imagine it!

MM: Yeah it’s like wow! Snowboarding on these untouched slopes it’s just so majextic and picturesque and honestly, it’s a ton of fun to be out there for me. I love pushing myself like that as well and it’s such a team effort filming. You’re all helping each other and you have each other’s backs! That’s a nice change sometimes – I mean we all have each other’s backs, but we’re also competing. So being in the backcountry with Zeb Powell (X Games G1 + S1) for the first time and long time friends with Danny Davis (X Games G2), Brock Crouch, and Ben Ferguson (X Games S1 + B1) – to have that crew together and just making an awesome film! Thank you to Red Bull and Burton for giving us that rad opportunity! It was something that I definitely couldn’t pass up and I think that they did an awesome job on the movie!

AM: It was beautiful and what came to mind was in watching surfing for years and specifically things like the big waves in thinking about HBO’s 100 Foot Wave, you know about the tow in for surfers. The film illustrated this with drops ins from the helicopter as well as the Ski-Doos - not sure if that is correct...

MM: Oh yeah the Ski-Doo, you’re right – you nailed it! It’s crazy what you can access on those things and that’s a big part of it. Of course, as you saw, the triangle has the Helli on top which is the top mode of transportation! But Ski-Doo, they’re amazing what you can get to. I loved being back there and being able to enjoy that with friends, it’s freaking special and you don’t have that kind of instant gratification. Like if you’re doing a competition and you do well, you’re on that podium. But when you do this and you get clips and you see it all come together, and it’s such a team effort – that’s comparable, if not more gratifying at times.

AM: The film was awesome and the music – everything was just produced and came so well together. It was very cool!

MM: Thank you! I’m happy that you enjoyed it.

AM: You have 24 medals from the X Games, 3 from the Olympics, you’ve won US Opens, you have coveted brands that are sponsoring you, you’ve been in a number of films, and you have left your fingerprint on the sport. What do you want your legacy to be known as when they are looking at Mark McMorris and this incredible career?

MM: Ooo. Someone that pushed the limits. Someone that had a love for the sport and really focused on all sides of the sport and wasn’t just kind of like a one lane kind of guy. Someone who gave back to the community. That would be something that I would be truly proud of!

AM: We appreciate you taking the time, we didn’t realize that you will be training tomorrow in prep for the competition that is taking place this weekend!

MM: No problem! I’m so excited for this cover and it’s so neat that I will be on the cover as there have been some very impressive people that have been in it!

IG @markmcmorris

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | FRONT COVER/BACK COVER Chris Singer/Red Bull Content Pool | PG 16, 27 Frederik Kalbermatten | PG 19, 20, 28, 30, 34, BACK COVER Aaron Blatt | PG 23, 24 Emily Tidwell/Red Bull Content Pool | PG 33, 40, 44 - 51 X Games | PG 36 Christian Pondella | PG 38 Cole Giordano/Red Bull Content Pool | PG 42 Rock Star Energy Open |

Read the DEC ISSUE #120 of Athleisure Mag and see PUSHING THE LIMITS | Mark McMorris in mag.

ROCKSTAR ENERGY OPEN 2025

We’re looking forward to the Rockstar Energy Open at the Breckenridge Ski Resort that takes place from Dec 19-21st in Breckenridge, Colorado. This 3 day festival is free and open to the public and showcases world-class snowboarding competitions, live music, art, installations and an interactive fan village with Breck’s 5 iconic peaks in the background. You’ll enjoy elite pros as well as rising stars!

The inaugural snowboarding edition of the Rockstar Energy Open will include both men’s and women’s divisions and spotlight a star-studded roster of Rockstar Energy athletes, including Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard, Colorado native Nik Baden, and fan-favorite Iris Pham.

The Rockstar Energy Open will also debut a new world-class rider-designed course created in partnership with Snow Park Technologies and the Breck Terrain Park Crew. The competition venue will feature a unique muli-terrain setup unlike traditional slopestyle, halfpipe or big air formats. 

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE SUPER AGENT | LEIGH STEINBERG

We spoke with legendary sports agent, author and philanthropist, Leigh Steinberg. It was intriguing to hear how he became a sports agent before it was a core field and what research and strategy he puts into win-win dealmaking. Agents, managers/owners and entrepreneurs alike surely benefit from listening to and following his tried and true methods. He is all about making relationship bonds and helping athletes on and off the field. We discuss some of his major sports deals; working with top sports players and teams; as well as landing endorsements that align with player values. His new book, The Comeback: Resilience, Empathy and What Matters, comes out this Super Bowl, and includes his story of alcohol addiction and rebounding to be over a decade of continuous sobriety, as well as continuing to help athletes on the field; their health; as well as being a role model and supporting their respective communities, nurturing young sports talent, and during local tragedies.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So what led you to become a sports agent?

LEIGH STEINBERG: Well there really wasn’t a field of organized sports agentry when I began.I was a dorm counselor in an undergrad dorm working my way through law school and they moved the freshman football team into the dorm, and one of the students was the quarterback, Steve Bartowski, and in 1975 he became the very first player picked overall in the draft, the first player in the first round, and he asked me to represent him. I was out of law school a year choosing between different offers, and all of a sudden here I had the first pick in the NFL Draft and we ended up with the largest rookie contract in NFL history.

So that got it started, but my dad had two core values. One was treasure relationships, especially family and the other was make a meaningful difference in the world. In that very first experience, I saw that athletes were venerated in idol worships and that if I used their experience to try to trigger positives in the world that we could send them back to the high school community, and they could set up scholarship funds, or work with Boys and Girls Club, or a Church at the Collegiate level, they could endow scholarship or retrofit equipment and bond with the alums, and at the pro level that we could set up a charitable foundation that would attack some problem that bothered them in the world and use the leading business figures political figures and community leaders to assist in executing the program.

So that’s work done and running back who just put the 220th single mother and her family into the first home they’ll ever own, or Patrick Mahomes II his 15 and the Mahomies it helps at-risk kids, kids in hospitals, kids without enough to eat, and so that’s how I began, and that’s been the spirit of our firm.

AM: So how is it that you built the relationships with the team owners, the managers, and the GMs to get to some of those biggest deals ever?

LS: I think the whole key in life is listening skills. It’s being able to draw out another human being cut below the surface; understand their deepest anxieties and fears and greatest hopes and dreams; and see the world the way the other person sees it.

Now put your heart and mind into the heart and mind of a general manager, of an owner, of a potential client, and really people don’t tend to share their deepest emotional feelings very easily - so you have to create an atmosphere of trust around another human being so they’ll peel back the layers of the onion and show you who they are, and then you can craft win-win scenarios.

AM: That’s great. So what is it about win-win negotiating that has such big results? We’d love to hear more about your formula.

LS: So it’s first of all, doing an internal inventory so you understand how important is short-term economic gain and how important is long-term economic security. What about family or geographical location, or profile or autonomy and for an athlete? How important is being on a winning team, the quality of coaching, the system that they run the facilities.. and it’s to have an understanding if you’re representing a client of really what is critical to them in this transaction. It’s understanding what’s critical to a management type in the same situation. So it’s doing research ahead of time, it’s understanding the business, the profitability, the revenue streams and in contemporary sports salary caps, and understanding how they work and how to work around them. So it’s really a commitment to a win-win scenario where both parties walk away happy, and it takes creativity so there are times where you need to think outside the square and be more creative in how to problem solve.

AM: There’s so many lessons that you could give us just in an entrepreneurship in general, so what were some of the tools you used or even a war story about when you saw an owner a manager and or GM on the other side, but they weren’t really meshing where they agreed on what to do?

LS: So that’s where it can be important to go to the ultimate decision maker, and hopefully if I can negotiate with an owner.. can I create a concept of whose reality will govern in the situation. So one of the things I do is to create exhibits that show exactly how valuable a player is in a series of statistical categories or honors and that just how that relates to the market, so if we’ve done that correctly it should be a blueprint for a logical conclusion. So instead of saying I want the money or the most money, or whatever you’re trying - motivate the other side through logic, statistics and give them a framework to view compensation through.

AM: What has been part of your recipe for building strong relationships and bonds on and off the field?

LS: Part of it is not embarrass people publicly. That it’s understanding that there are, especially in sports having public exposure, putting the team in an awkward position creating a conflict publicly doesn’t near to the benefit of a client. In other words, you should try to do these things seamlessly behind the scenes quietly so that the first time anyone even knows negotiations are happening is when you have a happy player sitting signing his contract. So it’s being careful to safeguard relationships. if you’re in a situation where someone from the other side has his neck exposed and you’re tempted to step on it, the only thing I can tell you for sure is your neck will be exposed at some point in the future, and I think it’s critical to honor those relationships.

We live in primarily an oral world, so your word is your bond. So I think it’s really important to be trustworthy and to not try to build your own stature through diminishing others.

AM: Very true. So I know you’ve been asked a lot about Jerry Maguire in the past. It really hit me hard when I got to see it, so I wanted your impression by being an advisor, by being the inspiration and also the memo and the infamous tagline - I’d love to hear your thoughts about it.

LS: Well for the memo as you know, our concept is role modeling making a difference in the world. So it’s a boxer Lennox Lewis cutting a public service announcement that says real men don’t hit women and that could trigger behavioral attitude in rebellious adolescents more than a thousand authority figures ever could. So Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Vanilla Sky, Fast Times at Ridgemont High) called me up, the writer/director in ‘93 and asked if he could follow me around for a film that would be based on a sports agent. So he went to the NFL draft with me in New York. He went to league meetings in Palm Desert. He went to Super Bowl. He came to a series of games with me and went to pro scouting day at USC. He was like a fly on the wall and I told him stories.. lots and lots of stories and what part of those stories went into it, I’ll leave to Cameron, but then I was technical advisor so I had to vet the script to make sure [there was] the willing suspension of disbelief that holds you in the picture, and that the dialogue seems real, that the look is authentic and didn’t get tampered with, and then I worked with the actors.

I took Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Men of Honor, Boyz N The Hood, Selma), who played the wide receiver down to Phoenix for the Super Bowl and made him pretend he was a wide receiver client of mine all week and he hung out with Desmond Howard and Amani Toomer. I actually had to show the quarterback in the film played by Jerry O’Connell (Stand By Me, Las Vegas, Scream 2) how to throw a spiral because he had gone to NYU and they didn’t have a football program. So anyway it’s been 27 years and still every time I go to an airport or go out to dinner someone runs up to the table and either asks me to say those four words or says them to me that start with ‘Show Me The..’

AM: And is it taken well by you for the most part?

LS: Sure I think that I believe the film humanized sports agents and showed some of the true caring that goes into the relationships and you know it was the highest grossing sports film of all time until The Blind Side came along.

AM: Hmm, well we love that movie and thank you for being part of it and being an inspiration. It’s also inspiration for business people on passion, ethics, discipline and holding on; it’s an inspiration for people in romance - I mean the movie does go beyond sports too.

LS: So it’s really cool one of the reasons it was popular was the relationship, yeah romantic relationship. I have a new book coming out at the Super Bowl and it’s about resilience. It’s called The Comeback and it comes from the realization that life will frustrate us all at some level, hopefully minor and not catastrophic, but in many cases because of divorce and relationship problems and financial problems and substance abuse, people hit a situation where they lost their way and and they seem to be destructive. So the question is not whether that’ll happen in some form, it happens to us all. It’s how do you come back from that? How do you find resilience seeing the light at the end of the tunnel? So, it’s stories of resilience, including my own story.

AM: That’s really cool, looking forward to reading it. A lot of people need comebacks and you know as you’re speaking I think there is also a big epidemic right now of people functioning in their jobs or tasks or relationships but silently maybe not liking it or fitting where where they’re they might be just accomplishing the status quo but they need that pivot or growth that we kind of all need a comeback.

LS: Right, so sometimes not the most devastating moments, but it could be assessing yourself every now and again and making sure that you’re on the right path that’s where that internal assessment tool where you know short-term economics, long-term economic, profile making a difference in the world autonomy - you know vacation, whatever it is it’s having the most pristine clarity as what really will bring fulfillment to a person.

You know it’s fair to say, I battled with alcohol and crashed back in 2010, and so you know people are out there still suffering. The first key is breaking denial. OK, alcohol and addiction is a disease that tells you that you don’t have a disease, so it’s having some clarity about the fact that you’ve hit bottom. You don’t want to live this way for the rest of your life and you’ll take action. My action was a 12-step program, with a unique fellowship and the point is there is light at the end of the tunnel. I mean I just turned 15 and a half years continuously sober, so the point is for people out there despairing, who are confused and despondent - reach out! There’s help available and you can turn your life back into the fulfilling journey that you hope for that’s great.

AM: Let’s discuss the groundbreaking Mahomes deal, so how is it going through all that when you land that deal in 2020 with the Chiefs? What were you feeling when you closed the deal? What did it take to get there? How did Patrick feel and I guess you guys were on top of the world then!!

LS: Again, I think it’s understanding every client and to Patrick what was important was winning and wanted to go to the super bowl. In other words, it wasn’t enough to be the highest paid player on a team that was losing or under, so it’s part of what’s different about representing athletes, is that you’re not representing a corporation or a pig iron manufacturer or some commercial, and they’re a human being, so that you start to grow and care for the person you become bonded with. So being able to guarantee lifetime security felt really good.

AM: You have been a such a pioneer involved with endorsement deals. You know it’s great, that in the endorsement deals that you advocate and close for like-minded values between the players and hopefully the brand at the time and continuing. How is it finding those relationships between athlete and brand and showing athletes that they don’t just have to do things for money, that they could do things with money and values attached.

LS: Well one of the things I’ve tried to be careful of is advising clients not to do all that many endorsements [until] they’ve established a sports career. So to sort of take it easy so Mahomes didn’t do endorsements his first year, he wasn’t a starter and the second he was at the end of that year it was fine, but you want to prove to the fans of the city, to the ownership, to the other players that you’re serious about football or baseball or basketball, and you’re committed. Also hopefully set up a charitable foundation that shows you’re serious about being involved in that community, so a lot is about values, it’s about understanding that high profile is a role model and that your associations with products and and companies in the world ought to do what you suggested, which is to share the same values about what’s important. If you believe in helping people, then there’s a component there and each of the deals can actually have a structure where they go back to help the charity.

AM: Then sometimes you’re involved with helping athletes give back just to a disaster and being involved with the situation. How do you help facilitate those positive impact scenarios?

LS: I remember Ben Roethlisberger donated when they had the big tidal waves in Thailand. He donated a game check to relief, so it’s having an awareness of the time and place. One of the things we’ve been able to do at our Super Bowl party which I hold every year, is to address problems. So for example, back in Miami around 2008 or 2009, we shipped the water machine to Haiti. They had just had an earthquake and cholera problems with impure drinking water, we were able to ship a water machine that purified the water for 140,000 people. So it’s when we had troops in the field, we did a live hookup with troops between the Super Bowl party and Afghanistan and Iraq, so it’s having an awareness of what’s going on societally.

Years ago I created something called the Sporting Green Alliance and it took sustainable technology and wind, solar, recycling, resurfacing and water to state the arena and practice fields to drop carbon emissions and energy costs and it transformed them into teaching platforms. So the millions of fans that go could see a waterless urinal or solar panel and think about how to integrate those concepts into their homes and businesses.

AM: Then there’s also the Leigh Steinberg Foundation, so that’s where you’re helping educate about head trauma and CTE.

LS: I had a crisis conference back in the 1980s because I’m representing half the starting quarterbacks and they keep getting hit in the head and we would go to doctors and ask how many is too many? What’s the number that should contemplate retirement and they had no answers. So we started holding brain health summits back in 1994, and the first one here in Newport Beach had Troy Aikman, Steve Young, Warren Moon, and Drew Bledsoe, all came and listened to neurologists. By the time we got to about 2006, doctors like Bennett Amalu told us that three or more seemed to be the magic number, and after that you had an exponentially higher chance of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, premature senility, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and depression. So I call this a ticking time bomb. We’ve continued to have those brain health summits. We did two hours in New Orleans at our Super Bowl party, and I thought why not establish a foundation to raise money for research into brain health. There are two new modalities, one’s called RTMS and the other is neurofeedback. They can actually through neuroplasticity rehire a concuss rewire a concussed brain, so we’re making some progress and I have a series of neurologists on the board of the foundation and some iconic athletes.

AM: You’ve done so much, including golf tournaments and youth support for talented youth to get sponsorships. What is it that drives you to do so much good in the world beyond being an agent?

LS: So my my dad used to say if you see a problem in the world as tiny as picking up a piece of trash or as big as racism or climate change, and your tendency is to wait for they or them to solve the problems, older people, political figures, you know someone else, he would say, you could wait forever son, ‘the they is you,’ ‘you are the they.’ So it’s just a sense of responsibility, that’s part of why I’m in this world, is to heal pain to help people who can’t help themselves, to try, and be as active as I can in bringing hope and healing into the world.

AM: What is one lesser known story in either closing a deal, or in working with a top client - our community would certainly love it.

LS: So Ben Roethlisberger, Super Bowl winning quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, was very superstitious, and so he had a routine he did before every game. So it came time to see the AFC championship, which was Pittsburgh versus Denver in Denver, and usually players will reserve tickets for you as an agent and everything. So I called Ben before that game about tickets and there was silence on the other end of the line, and I said is there a problem? He said, ‘yeah well, last year you came in Pittsburgh to the AFC championship game, and we lost.’ I said, well Ben there were 70,000 other people there too. He says, ‘I don’t know,’ but I said you mean I can’t come to the game? He said, well you could go to willcall, but you’ll be waiting for hours. So at any rate, they played, they won. So go back to the Super Bowl, which was played in Detroit, and I’m on the bus on the way back with him, and I said, ‘Ben guess what? You just won the Super Bowl, and I’m here, so I guess I get to go to more Super Bowls?” And he says, “Yes, but never an AFC championship game.”

IG @leighsteinberg

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Leigh Steinberg

Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see THE SUPER AGENT | Leigh Steinberg in mag.

63MIX ROUTIN3S | KELLY CHENG

Read the APR ISSUE #112 of Athleisure Mag and see 63MIX ROUTIN3S | Kelly Cheng in mag.

BBQ BEACH BITES WITH BRIANNA COPE

We love checking in with those that we may have learned about in a previous interview. Back in our AUG ISSUE #92, we had the pleasure of interviewing the Creator and Executive Producer of Prime Video's Surf Girls Hawai'i, Monica Medellin who introduced us to 4 surfers that we were able to watch navigating their careers and growing up. One of the surfers featured was pro surfer Brianna Cope.

We wanted to sit down to find out more about Brianna's love for the ocean, how it fuels her, competing, and how she continues to stay fit outside of surfing. With a passion for cooking, we also wanted to hear about how beach and barbecues are the perfect compliment and how she's able to make amazing meals in a portable way!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We're so excited to be chatting with you. We actually first became aware of you when we interviewed Monica Medellin (Red Bull: Making History: Women Free Ride, Teahupo’o Surf Camp: Road to Paris 2024, LA28 Stories: Black Surf) who was the Creator and Executive Producer for Surf Girls Hawai’i.

BRIANNA COPE: Yeah Surf Girls!

AM: So what was your first memory of surfing and when did you fall in love with it?

BC: Oh, this is like, one of my favorite parts to talk about just because I feel like it just was the best moment of my life, I was actually born with a small hand. So, I started surfing at 3 or 4 years old, and that first wave, you know, you fall down, and it's the best thing because you're like, I just can't wait to do it again, right?

AM: Yeah.

BC: I’ve done so many other sports like, you fall down - ice skating or skateboarding. You're like, eh I don’t know if I want to do that again.

AM: Right.

BC: But in surfing, for me, there is this thrill and that excitement! That connection with something so much bigger than us, like the ocean was really cool for me.

AM: Wow!

When did you realize that you wanted to do it professionally?

BC: Probably the next day. I know that it was a really, really young age. That was my calling in life and the connection that I had with the ocean was much deeper, like, I just felt so much more relaxed when I was in the ocean. Like, you know, when people go and surf sometimes, they're like, oh, I feel nervous, right? The water for me was so healing, and I knew at a really young age. I want to say like when I was really younger, I knew I wanted to be a pro surfer.

AM: That's amazing.

About Surf Girls Hawai’i, what made you want to be a part of that show?

BC: I think for me, wanting to be a part of Surf Girls Hawai’i for Hello Sunshine was about women’s empowerment, right?

Like in sports, we are always told to be better than the other person, or to beat them. Don't get me wrong, I'm very competitive, but I think there's something more powerful to like living in the moment and supporting each other and uplifting instead of tearing each other down, so that's exactly why. A lot of my friends are on the show, so it was really fun.

AM: I mean, it was so fun to watch and we just loved digging into the sport more and seeing the dynamics between you.

When is the surfing season and how has it been going so far for you?

BC: So, the surfing season, thankfully, we get to surf year round, especially living in Hawaii! We have amazing waves. The competitive surf season starts in June this year, and it goes until the end of the year, because of the late start.

The CT starts in January, but the Challenger Series starts a little later. So, in the meantime, I'm competing in a couple races, which is super fun.

AM: Nice.

BC: I love it more for the mental challenge and it’s second nature for me. But, I'm getting ready to run 410 miles in a relay race known as The Speed Project from LA to Vegas with some friends. So that’s a really fun push, and I feel like it translates into my surfing of wanting to push in bigger waves and stuff.

AM: Can’t even imagine, but that sounds fantastic!

What do you consider to be your superpower in terms of when you're surfing?

BC: Oh, I think, for me, it's the connection with the ocean. I just feel like I have a really good read on it, and that's my superpower. I feel like it's the thing I'm most connected to in the world, like when my friends go and hike and they say that they feel so grounded, I never feel that I feel very grounded in the ocean, I think. For me, it's the connection I have to the ocean.

AM: Honestly, you have such a peaceful Vibe.

BC: Ha! It’s crazy because I was in a rush to get on here and I was all stressed!

AM: Well just listening to you – love this Vibe. We need this around us, a lot more!

BC: Call me anytime.

AM: So obviously you love the water and surfing is such a great way to stay in shape. What are three workouts that you do outside of, you know, surfing, or, or in the ocean in general that keeps you in shape because our readers always like knowing what can we add into our routines?

BC: For sure. I think for me, I'm big into strength working out. So, like, I do a lot of rotation movements. I do a lot of squats to build the strength in my lower body and of course, I’m really into running right now. I just love that more for the exertion because you're running for a certain amount of time. Surfing is so quick. You catch a wave, then you're back out there. There is a lot of sitting, so I feel like running really helps. I like to swim, but I am a bad swimmer. My form isn’t great ha – but swimming is really fun for me, too.

AM: How do you take time for yourself when you need a reset?

BC: That's a great question because I love to just go go go, like, if I could, I would go 24/7!

AM: Same.

BC: You just want to take over.

AM: Yep.

BC: Whatever you can do is great. Meditation is really big for me. I love starting my morning off with that and like, for me, I need to have that, like, even if it's 5-10 minutes in the morning to, like, set my day up. That's important. And just like, honestly, listening to my body, I'm not the best at doing it.

AM: Same.

BC: I feel that my glutes are a little sore, but I’ll think to myself that I should still go run. You know, taking that time, in a sauna or in a cold plunge every day, I think that's really helpful.

AM: Well, when you think about going to the beach, here in New York we do have our beaches and obviously, we think about beach activities, but we also think about, barbecuing, and various foods when it comes to the beach. Do you enjoy cooking and what do you love making?

BC: I love to cook! That's actually how I feel like I cannot be on my phone. I'm super present. You're just like in the flow, and it's my favorite thing to do. I actually grew up watching my grandma cook, and then I just took on that tradition myself, but in Hawaii it’s super normal to have beach barbecues, right? You are gonna go down the beach and somebody's gonna be barbecuing or somebody's gonna be cooking on the beach. It’s so normal for me, and when Gozney made this new oven, I was like this is perfect for whether I'm on the beach or if I want to do it after a hike. It's also really light, because like sometimes, you don't really want to start a fire from scratch. I might starve if I do that. But it’s super easy and growing up on an island that was so second nature for us.

AM: And how did the partnership happen because it seems like it’s such a natural synergy.

BC: I slid into Tom Gozney's DMs, the owner of Gozney.

AM: Nice!

BC: I told him I was a huge fan of everything that they were doing. I freaking love to cook. I literally made steak on the Gozney last night.

AM: Oh wow!

BC: You can make so many things on the Gozney.

AM: Nice! We like a multi-purpose situation.

BC: As much as I would like to eat pizza every single day, sometimes I gotta switch it up, right? I like to make food, and so when I saw everything that they were doing, I was like, this is so cool. It's so adventurous, it's not like the typical fine dining. Like, I don't know how to plate my plate like that. But I love to cook and I like having my oven and having a perfect pizza in your house is amazing.

AM: I mean, that must be amazing - now knowing that you put a whole steak in there, you can make all these things and be virtually anywhere to create these dishes.

BC: Yeah, actually. When we were doing the shoot for the Tread and we had pizza on the beach, and it was super fun, but then we took it the next day, and I actually tried to make a steak on the beach and it was pretty cool.

I love to just cook and to be able to hang out with your friends. I feel like on the beach, it’s such a great place to do it and to enjoy it!

AM: What does this partnership look like in terms of what we will see you doing with Gozney?

BC: Hopefully more adventure stuff. I mean, they're so fun to work with. It's like they let me, do you know kind of whatever I want in the content space. It's so nice to just be able to like express how I use the oven. It's been a long partnership and they're awesome.

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for? I know that you're going into competitions, and we have this great season ahead.

BC: I mean, I think there's always things coming out. I'm pretty sporadic, too. I'm always like I have a calendar, but I never really look at it.

AM: Wow!

BC: Staying tuned on Instagram is probably the best way to keep up for sure.

IG @briannacope

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Gozney Ambassador Brianna Cope | 63MIX ROUTIN3S Brianna Cope/IG |

Read the MAR ISSUE #111 of Athleisure Mag and see BBQ BEACH BITES WITH BRIANNA COPE in mag.

NEW YEAR, N3W YOU

Read the JAN ISSUE #109 of Athleisure Mag and see NEW YEAR, N3W YOU in mag.

63MIX ROUTIN3S | SYDNEY LEROUX

Read the OCT ISSUE #106 of Athleisure Mag and see 63MIX ROUTIN3S | Sydney Leroux in mag.

FIGHT & SMILE | NATALIA GROSSMAN

At the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games, Climbing made it's Olympic debut and it returned at Paris 2024. We caught up with Natalia Grossman who competed in her first Olympic Games with Team USA in this sport! We wanted to know more about the sport, her specialty of Bouldering, how her career has been going as she went pro in 2019, where she enjoys climbing around the world, what it means to be an Olympian and to be in the Olympic Village. We also wanted to know about what self-care means to her as well as to partner with Olay.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What is your first memory of climbing?

NATALIA GROSSMAN: I think that my first memory is just walking into the climbing gym and I still remember it pretty vividly. Just, being in awe of how tall the walls looked and all of the bright colors. I was just very drawn to it.

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to climb professionally?

NG: Probably pretty late in life honestly. It’s pretty hard to be a professional climber. I feel like there is just a handful of us in the US who make a living off of it. So I’m very grateful to be able to do that. It probably didn’t occur until my first success in 2021 on the World Cup scene that I realized that this could be my job.

AM: How does one train to become a climber professionally?

NG: It’s just like any other sport! You have to dedicate a lot of time, commit to it, and be dedicated. I wouldn’t say that it is anything crazy! Climbing is the best way to be a climber!

AM: We have had the pleasure of talking to an array of athletes across various sports. So when we talk to those that swim, fence, or surf they have a specialty that they do like swimmers who only do backstroke. Is there a specialty in climbing that you do and can you tell us more about that?

NG: So we have 3 different disciplines in climbing. I partake in 2 of them. I’d say that I am best in Boudlering so that’s my specialty, but there are 100s of moves within Boudlering. I’d like to think that I am a pretty well rounded climber, but Bouldering is definitely my favorite discipline. (Editor’s Note: Climbing consists of Speed, Bouldering, and Lead. Speed Climbing is one of form of indoor rock climbing where athletes compete for the fastest time to the top of the climbing wall. Bouldering Climbing is a form of free climbing that is performed on small rock formations of artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or harness. Lead Climbing involves attempting to climb as high as an athlete can on a wall measuring more than 15m in height within 6 mins.)

AM: Climbing is obviously a total body workout for training. But is there anything else that you do besides climbing to optimize you in the sport?

NG: Honestly, not too much. We do off the wall weight training, lots of PT stuff, rehab, maintenance like body work and massage work. We do dry needling (Editor’s Note: A treatment that uses thin needles to stimulate and break up muscle tissue knots to help with pain and movement issues), ice baths, and saunas.

AM: You have climbed all over the world! Do you have 3 favorite spots that you like to climb?

NG: I guess with climbing, there is outdoor climbing, but there is also indoor competitions. Or sometimes competitions that are outside, but they are on an artificial wall. I’d say that my favorite place to climb on real rocks is Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, and my 2 favorite spots that I like to climb that are indoors is Innsbruck, Austria is the Kletterzentrum Innsbruck which is the largest gym in the world! It’s awesome and has 60,000 square feet of climbing surface. Another place would probably be Arco, Italy. I have lots of memories there and I love the little town there.

AM: When you realized that you would be going to Paris for Team USA, what did that mean to you?

NG: Yeah, I qualified back in Nov. and it was just such a special moment to have all of the work that I have done to pay off. It has been such a goal of mine to be here.

AM: Are you staying in the Olympic Village and if so, have you met any athletes that are on your bucket list or have you tried the Chocolate Muffins that everyone is raving about?

NG: I am staying in The Village and I have met a couple of other athletes as I have tried not to fan girl too much! I was pretty siked to meet Noah Lyles (Team USA Track & Field G1, B2) and that was pretty cool. Yes, I have had the muffins every day and I guess this would be day 5!

AM: In 2021, you became the World Champion which had not been done by an American climber in 20 years, and you did this very early on in your pro career which is quite an accomplishment. Your mantra is Smile and Fight. What does that mean to you?

NG: I mean, 2021 was kind of crazy! I feel like it kind of came out of nowhere and to me, just smiling and fighting through every moment, through every competition, kind of became my trademark and it’s just something that my coach came up with and I always want to enjoy what I am doing. So if I am enjoying it, I am going to smile and I always want to give my best effort so I will keep fighting!

AM: What the next tournament or competition that we should keep an eye out for?

NG: I’ll be competing next most likely in the IFSC Climbing World Cup Prague 2024 which is in late Sept. as well as the IFSC World Cup Seoul 2024 which is in early Oct.

AM: You have partnered with Olay which is the Official Facial Cleanser of Team USA, why is this partnership important and synergistic to you?

NG: I think that skincare and coming up with a routine is very important and I am someone that thrives off of routine and I love routine! So being able to use the cleansing melts, the moisturizers as an everyday routine that I can do when I travel or when I am home, it gives me that sense of consistency.

AM: We feel that when we do our beauty routines, it’s a great way to start and end our day in terms of self-care. What does self-care mean to you and why is it so important?

NG: I think that self-care can mean lots of things and physically being able to do the things that make you feel good and takes care of your body, but also it’s about taking care of your mind. You need to feel your emotions and have people that you can talk to and not hiding what you’re really feeling.

AM: Your biggest tool is your hands we’re sure. Are there specific things that you do to keep them ready for your next climb?

NG: I mean, I use gloves whenever I apply products on my body and I will use chalk when I am climbing to make sure that they are dry.

IG @natalia_grossman

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 78 Daniel Milchev/Red Bull Content Pool | PG 80 Erich Spiess/ASP/Red Bull Content Pool G | PG 83 Olay |

Read the AUG ISSUE #104 of Athleisure Mag and see FIGHT & SMILE | Natalia Grossman in mag.

9PLAYLIST | SARA HUGHES

Read the AUG ISSUE #104 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST Sara Hughes in mag.

CITI TASTE OF TENNIS

As we navigate the summer, there are a number of events that are always on our mind! With the US Open around the corner, Citi Taste of Tennis kicks off a series of events as well as the Grand Slam that gets everyone excited! At Citi Taste of Tennis, you're able to enjoy some of the best chefs and restaurants as well as seeing your favorite tennis players who will be playing at the US Open as well as veterans together! We've enjoyed attending over the years and look forward to attending on Aug 22nd at Gotham Hall with this year's host, Prakash Amritraj. We wanted to know more about this event as well as others that are part of Taste of Tennis. We sat down with AYS Sports Marketing CEO, Penney Lerner to get all the details.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into this year's Citi Taste of Tennis, I wanted to know more about AYS Sports Marketing and who this producer is?

PENNY LERNER: Citi Taste of Tennis was created by AYS Sports Marketing, a woman-owned experiential marketing agency started in 1996 by mother and daughter duo, Judi and Penny Lerner.

AM: When did Taste of Tennis launch and why was this created?

PL: The principals at AYS worked with various tennis tournaments for many years and, in doing so, developed close relationships with tennis players, agents, and other industry insiders. With their fingers on pulse on the state of professional tennis, they identified an exciting and untapped opportunity. While tennis featured top-notch tournaments and A-list players, there were no high profile “off the court” events that were prominent in so many other sports. To fill this void, AYS created the Taste of Tennis in 1999.

In 2000, AYS hosted the first Taste of Tennis event in NYC headlined by Andre Agassi and celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse. The event combined food prepared by top chefs, celebrity appearances, entertainment and an Oscar's style red carpet. The event was instantly a hit among players, fans, sponsors and the media. Since then, the Taste has become a who’s who of tennis stars, culinary personalities and celebrities. Past attendees include Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Rafael Nadal, Coco Gauff, Mike Tyson, Eva Longoria, Marcus Samuelsson, Lana Del Rey, Naomi Osaka, Andy Roddick, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Olivia Culpo, Maria Sharapova, John McEnroe, Nick Kyrgios, Al Roker, Tamron Hall, Billie Jean King, Morimoto, Monica Seles, and many others

AM: We have attended Citi Taste of Tennis for a few years and have enjoyed them each time. In addition to NY, you have a Taste of Tennis London, Indian Wells, Washington D.C., and Miami. What do you look for when it comes to deciding on bringing a Taste of Tennis to a city as we assume that it involves doing it in tandem with a tennis match?

PL: Citi Taste of Tennis has occurred in many different cities over the past 10 years, from Melbourne to London to New York City to Toronto. We are always evaluating cities that have unique culinary offerings, have the potential for new digital content and most importantly, have tennis happening nearby!

AM: In terms of the upcoming Citi Taste of Tennis what does the calendar look like in terms of planning? Can you tell us what you are focused on when you're a year out, 6 months, 3 months, and a month away?

PL: Citi Taste of Tennis is a brand. We focus on it for 12 months of the year and are constantly evaluating new markets, rising chefs and culinary trends, up and coming tennis players, unique venues, inspiring digital content, social media, sponsorships and more. It’s a big undertaking, and we have a great team and after 24 years, hundreds of hours of digital content and 75+ events, we have a solid understanding of what the brand requires.

AM: This year, you are returning to Gotham Hall. Each year, these events blend players, fans, and cuisine. Can you tell us what we should expect this year?

PL: Guests will enjoy cuisine prepared by 20 leading chefs including Mischa Tsumura (No. 5 Best Restaurant in the World – Maido) and Antonio Bachour (World’s Best Pastry chef 2018, 2022). They will also be treated to special appearances by a number of top tennis stars including 8-Time Grand Slam Champion Andre Agassi, Qinwen Zheng (World #7) and Alexander Zverev (World #4). There will also be great food and fun promotions provided by our sponsors including Segafredo Zanetti Coffee, Scenic Cruises, Boar’s Head, Barbados Tourism Board, Liquid Death and Savas Health.

AM: Is there anything new being added to this year's event?

PL: We are producing a live cooking competition between Chef Mischa and Chef Antonio with WTA player Qinwen Zheng and ATP player Zhizhen Zhang which Andre Agassi will judge!

AM: Outside of the events associated with tennis tournaments, what does Taste of Tennis do throughout the year?

PL: Taste of Tennis started out as a 3-hour culinary event and has evolved into one of the most popular brands in pro tennis. In addition to the 3 North American events, we currently produce, Taste of Tennis is also an Official Sponsor of the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic at Hurlingham (UK). This year, we will also have a Taste of Tennis experience at the National Bank Open (Toronto). We have a full-time staff dedicated to managing all elements of the brand including sales, culinary, digital content, production, and public relations. Suffice to say it's a year-round program.

IG @tasteoftennis

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Taste of Tennis

Read the JUL ISSUE #103 of Athleisure Mag and see CITI TASTE OF TENNIS in mag.

63MIX ROUTIN3S | JORDAN CHILES

Read the JUL ISSUE #103 of Athleisure Mag and see 63MIX ROUTIN3S Jordan Chiles in mag.

COOKING FOR CHAMPIONS | CHEF ALEXANDRE MAZZIA

There are so many elements that surround the Olympics, each time the world's best athletes showcase their passion, dedication, and commitment to their sport. With a range of activities that take place, we love finding out more. We had the pleasure to chat with Chef Alexandre Mazzia who is the chef/owner of AM Par Alexandre Mazzia the hottest 3 MICHELIN Star restaurant in Marseille and a former professional basketball player, and he will be one of 3 top French chefs who will be preparing 40,000 meals in the Olympic Village during Paris 2024!

We wanted to find out more about his days as an athlete, his continued love of basketball, how he got into the culinary industry, AM Par, being at the Olympic Games and even being able to take part in running with the Olympic flame as a Torchbearer!

ATHLEISURE MAG: You spent your childhood in the Republic of Congo. What was that like and what about living there shaped the way that you looked at the world?

CHEF ALEXANDRE MAZZIA: I was born in Pointe-Noire in the Congo, at the Clinique des Manguiers. My cooking is neither Congolese nor Marseillaise, but it is inevitably somehow influenced by its environment, with most of the products coming from the Marseillaise environment. It's this Marseillaise and Congolese luminosity that is imprinted.

Spices and chilli are things that are now part of French cuisine that weren't there a few years ago (6-7 years ago). Today, people are a bit more assertive. I leaned on my roots, on the person I was, because it's true that I can't go against who I am. So it was important for me, in a natural way, to transcribe my cooking. And my cooking is described through the roasting, through the chillies, through the spices that are fundamentally who I am.

So, I'd say that my cooking is sparkling, distinctive, sincere, transparent, but yes, it's influenced by my childhood, my entire career, and, above all, by a great intensity.

AM: You graduated with a science degree, but for a time, you were a professional basketball player while you were navigating working in the culinary industry! When did you realize that you wanted to be a chef?

CHEF AM: My journey into the culinary world isn't as straightforward as many might think. Initially, I pursued a science degree, which was a completely different path. Interestingly, during that time, I also had a stint as a professional basketball player. It was a unique period when I was balancing my passion for sports with an emerging interest in the culinary arts. The transition from being on the basketball court to standing behind a kitchen counter wasn't immediate. It evolved over time as I became more immersed in cooking, discovering it as my true calling.

My realization that I wanted to be a chef dawned on me gradually rather than as a sudden epiphany. While playing basketball, I started to explore cooking more seriously. It wasn't just a hobby; it was a passion that kept growing, compelling me to delve deeper into the culinary world. Despite the stark differences between the two fields, I found that both required a similar level of dedication, creativity, and perseverance.

AM: Where did you train and what were some of the kitchens that you worked in prior to opening AM Par Alexandre Mazzia?

CHEF AM: My career path is one that can be called atypical. Immediately after my baccalaureate, I was lucky to attend a cooking school where I learnt the basics of cooking and general knowledge of the Hospitality industry. It gave me a chance to master the practical skills of cooking. After that, I acquired several diplomas and certifications, with a specialisation in pastry, chocolate and candy manufacturing. I got those diplomas while alternating school classes and work. It allowed me to build experience very quickly while discovering a world I felt I belonged to.

From that time on, I started accepting myself more. Since I came from abroad and only arrived in France at the age of 15, in the beginning, I used to be very independent. Cooking allowed me to travel a lot and open up. And then my passion became more than a passion. It became the source of my inspiration and motivation from which I learnt all my knowledge - practical and theoretical. It helped me learn about general culture, people, and Chefs and understand better the different cultures present around the world. Not just on a country level but regionally too. I also got to understand a great deal about “savoir-faire” (know-how) varieties making the base of French cuisine. It allowed me to have a strong knowledge foundation on the matter. As I travelled, I got to discover new flavours and become more aware of the importance of textures in cooking.

AM: How do you define your style of cooking and what influences it?

CHEF AM: My cooking blends spice, smoke, and chilli, linking to my childhood in Pointe-Noir, Congo, to my life in Marseille. My signature spice mix includes galangal, ginger, and cumin, enhancing the flavour and depth of each dish. Smokey aromas from burnt woods like vine shoots and olive tree add complexity, while my knowledge of over 45 types of chillies introduces a dynamic tension and variety in heat and flavour. I wanted this culinary approach to celebrate a fusion of oceanic and smoky elements with a vibrant chilli kick.

AM: You opened AM Par Alexandre Mazzia in 2014 in Marseille. What do you love about Marseille and why did you want to open your own restaurant?

CHEF AM: AM Par Alexandre Mazzia is a glimpse of my soul. It is about discovering myself through my cuisine. There is a wordplay in the name of my restaurant, in all subtlety, is a display of transparency and authenticity. It is a place where I give the best of myself, as I am devoted to its guests.

AM: What does it mean to you to have received your first Michelin star in 2015 after your restaurant was open for a year, your second in 2019, and your third star in 2021 for AM Par Alexandre Mazzia?

CHEF AM: All awards that my restaurant has won are equally important to me. Each award represents a recognition of our hard work, dedication, and commitment to providing the best dining experience to our guests. The awards have also motivated my team to perform at their best and maintain the high standards that we have set for ourselves.

There's no real success here. It's just a continuation of work that's been going on for many years. And I think that the way of looking at things was a bit different before, or the way of operating was different before. Today it's part of a collective vision, in other words, we've opened doors. We've given the keys to a way of working, but also to a totally personal way of operating.

I'd say that success is the fact of being, of doing just what you are with complete transparency, but with passion. It's a unique cuisine, my cuisine. It's so personal that I don't think anyone else can do it. So that's why people from all over the world want to discover it, why we've won all these awards, and why these awards represent our know-how.

AM: For those that have yet to dine at your restaurant, tell us about the ambiance that we can expect when we walk through the doors?

CHEF AM: At our restaurant, we offer a unique and memorable experience with 8 tables that seat up to 22 people and a team of 26 dedicated individuals. Our cuisine is "transversal," bringing together the best of local produce from fishermen, farmers, and tableware designers. Our dishes are created using a personal "alphabet of taste" developed from my own experiences. It is an extraordinary experience that many guests have never experienced before.

AM: You believe in the Triangle of Tastes - tell us more about this and how it weaves into your dishes.

CHEF AM: My cooking blends spice, smoke, and chilli, linking to my childhood in Pointe-Noir, Congo, to my life in Marseille. My signature spice mix includes galangal, ginger, and cumin, enhancing the flavour and depth of each dish. Smoky aromas from burnt woods like vine shoots and olive tree add complexity, while my knowledge of over 45 types of chillies introduces a dynamic tension and variety in heat and flavour. I wanted this culinary approach to celebrate a fusion of oceanic and smoky elements with a vibrant chilli kick.

AM: You are 1 of 3 French Chefs that will be catering the Paris 2024 Olympic Games - this is such an honor, but as someone who has been an athlete, what does it mean to you to be able to serve your country and the world in this way?

CHEF AM: I think it's a source of pride, pride for me, for my family, pride for the people, to represent France for the duration of the Olympic Games. It's a way of showcasing expertise, a signature, and a career. I think that I'm always thinking of people transmitting everything that I've done, which showcases a whole range of skills that are, I would say, quite simply unique.

AM: How long have you been planning what you will make and can you tell us some of the items that you plan on cooking? When it comes to meeting the neuro-nutritional challenge of feeding athletes, what have you been keeping in mind?

CHEF AM: I'm first and foremost a chef, so our unique know-how is our ability to adapt. We adapt on a daily basis, we're there to serve our customers, it's our daily job to adapt to the allergies of diners who don't eat this or that product. But beyond that, when they came looking for me to take part in the Olympic Games, of course, I knew very well that I was going to be working for the athletes, so I needed all my work over the years with the nutritionist, sports doctor, physical trainer, mental trainer and a certain federation of different disciplines so that I could have as many skills as possible to satisfy the demands I was going to have. So it's true that I worked for the athletes. It wasn't necessarily more complicated. All I had to do was concentrate on the tastes and flavours and simply be myself, just as I am in my everyday life. What I think and what the OCOG and Sodexo Live! wanted to achieve was to find someone who represented their region and, above all, who had a sporting background and who was bound to be able to adapt in a simple way. It's about putting our expertise at the service of athletes, for their performance and recovery. It also means playing for a team, playing for the "Olympic Games" that are taking place in France.

IG @alexandremazzia

@jeuolympiques

@paris2024

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Chef Alexandre Mazzia

Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see COOKING FOR CHAMPIONS | Chef Alexandre Mazzia in mag.

PICKLEBALL POWER

We were invited to Life Time at PENN 1 for an exclusive event for their VIP Pickleball event that allows us to see the unveiling of their 7 courts at this location in Midtown, NYC! The event kicked off with a conversation with the company's founder, Bahram Akradi, Founder and CEO as well as tennis icon, Andre Agassi, with 60 ATP Tour Wins, 8 Grand Slam Titles (Singles – Australian Open 1995, 2000, 2001, 2003; French Open 1999; Wimbledon 1992; US Open 1994, 1999), and Team USA Tennis Olympic Gold Medalist for the Summer Games in 1996. This tennis champ has been passionate about pickleball and won $1M and the Pickleball Slam 1 2023 with his partner Andy Roddick against John McEnroe and Michael Chang. This year, he won the $1M purse and Pickleball Slam 2 with his wife, Steffi Graf as they beat John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova.

Andre was recently announced as inaugural chair of the Life Time Pickleball and Tennis Board with the goal of expanding access, enhancing programming and building community.

In addition to the Q+A we saw both men play exhibition tournaments with JOOLA Pros Anna Bright, Collin Johns, Ben Johns, and Tyson McGuffin.

LIFE TIME: Ladies and Gentleman welcome to our VIP Pickleball Event that is launching the 7 gorgeous new pickleball courts that we have here at Lifetime Pickleball in the heart of NYC! Today, we’re also partnering with JOOLA Pickleball as they recently launched their Generation 3 line of paddles with JOOLA Pros’ Anna Bright, Collin Johns, Ben Johns, and newcomer to JOOLA, Tyson McGuffin. All of them will be joining us in just a few moments.

Before that, I’d like to introduce 2 dynamic men! An ambassador in the world of health and fitness, along with being champions of the JOOLA and Life Time brands. One of these men is the Founder and CEO of Life Time, the other, career highlights include the winner of the first ever Pickle Slam partnering with Andy Roddick, side note is that he also won 8 Grand Slams and has an Olympic Gold medal! Let’s have a round of applause for Andre Agassi and Bahram Akradi.

So Andre, pickleball, what’s the first thing that you thought when you heard that word for the first time?

ANDRE AGASSI: I thought, why that name? Then I took 15mins to just sit with it and it took about a 20min learning curve and I fell in love with it.

LT: How about you Bahram, the first time that you heard of pickleball, what went through your mind?

BAHRAM AKRADI: At first I thought that it was just a sport for very, very, very, old people.

LT: So what is this sport, who are the people that play, and now we’re here in NYC specifically, talking about pickleball. So Bahram, when you first played, you said that we had to get more of this here at Life Time. And now, Life Time is the biggest provider of pickleball courts in the country. What was your vision for pickleball at first and has it come to fruition?

BA: Yes, so, I remember playing tennis in some of our other clubs and I saw these taped lines on the courts and I found it was because people were trying to play pickleball on them. Then people just started asking for us to have courts that were specific to this game. So I thought, well if I give them courts designed for pickleball, they will stop putting tape on my pickleball courts!

So we took one club and we took 1 tennis court and make it into 4 Pickleball courts and we did that to another tennis court. So then I thought that that would be the end of that! Then once I started playing it, I did it for 2 hours and I got hooked. I started with doubles, and then I began playing singles and that’s when I saw the opportunity for this sport! I saw how all kinds of people at all kinds of levels could play. We had the opportunity to have people come here with our large facilities, we have quickly grown to become the largest owner and operator of permanent pickleball courts, topping more than 680 permanent courts nationwide (including the most in New York City with nine), and serving as a host site for multiple MLP and PPA tournaments nationwide in addition to its own Pickleball Classic. So we wanted to take a run at it and I think that we have done that!

LT: To you Andre, what about your process of being a pickleball player as well as looking at your phenomenal tennis career?

AA: First of all, I just want to know with everyone that’s here, how many of you have played pickleball? Look at all these hands – why are you asking me this question haha?

For me, what I really appreciated so quickly about it separately from inside the lines is when you’re playing tennis, you have to spend a 1-2.5 years before the game opens up to you. It’s that feeling that you’re not so concerned with what you are doing with the ball – you’re thinking of what you are trying to accomplish. With pickle, you’re able to get out there and connect quickly and there is a low point of injury involved.

Then there is the dynamics of family as my extended family as well as my wife’s who are from Germany when they come, we can all play together and we’re all different levels. I would say that we would all be out there – aunts, uncles, cousins, etc and no one had their phones out for 2 hours. The phones are on the side.

For me, what the hell can I do at this age that I can actually get better at? I mean I have gotten better at so many things in my life already – except for pickleball and I am getting better! You know, I’m a tortured perfectionist and when I think about playing pickleball versus tennis, the thrill of having to unlearn some of the sensibilities that I had as a tennis player right? But I also had to maintain some skills right? I am able to put my mind to the task and I get the reward of seeing all of that come together and I can only see this sport continuing to grow as it has. I feel that if we have X amount of people playing right now, we’ll be able to 10X that in no time at all!

LT: Andre is long on pickleball, I love that!

Now, you had mentioned that you have been playing with your family – your wife – I mean she’s major! Do you prefer playing with her or against her?

AA: I mean, she has crossed some finish lines in her life!

LT: A lot of us have significant others, spouses, that we play with so it’s always interesting to know!

AA: I like playing on her side because we are connected and that’s how you start to really understand what your partner is like and what you can and can’t do and to start morphing into their game. It’s cool to be on the same side of the net and that way you won’t feel guilty body bagging her! I mean, she has a few shots that are unique and then there are other things that don’t translate so well. She wants to play everything pretty traditionally. She’s always expressed her energy and her blood pressure through physical output so she was like a racehorse on the tennis court, but for me, my energy was always shot making when I was on the tennis court. It was about taking the ball and doing something with it.

So some things translate a lot easier when playing pickleball, but it’s fun watching her get past that first part and then seeing her get into her stride in this game. She just started playing singles after starting with doubles and you know, there’s one thing I don’t know how this sport works with someone who struggles with their knees. So she’s being careful and she has a cyst in her knee so once that thing gets drained and her knee feels good, she wants to play singles.

LT: Andre, just so you know, that was also a singles challenge right there for Bahram to play Steffani in singles. Are your kids approaching you to play pickleball or are you approaching them?

AA: Well, my kids – my son is a senior at USC and our daughter, thank God still lives with us at home as education and school wasn’t her thing. She’s artistic and does her own thing, she’ll get out there and play. My son plays baseball so when he hits something, he’s not thinking about it staying within a certain perimeter.

LT: He likes to be out there with the foul balls!

Bahram, how did you and Andre meet and what makes you excited to bringing Andre on board as the Chair for Raquet and Paddle Sports here at Life Time?

BA: We started working together 15 years ago and we continued to grow as really close friends. I have all the love and admiration for his intelligence and athleticism. I have always loved Andre and I have always hoped that when the right time came, that we would be able to partner together and to do something good that would be for the greater good. Life Time is the largest provider of pickleball and we wanted to be able to continue to deliver and offer tennis and pickleball and there was no better person that I could imagine to be the chair of our tennis and pickleball board. With his vision, his insight and I called him and asked what he thought about this. When he told me about his vision and how it would utilize our platform, it was a no-brainer for me.

LT: Andre, we are approaching the 30th Anniversary of you winning your very first US Open. What kind of memories does that bring back for you?

AA: Well, I had hair.

LT: Where were we then? Was it touching your shirt?

AA: The hair was going past the shirt!

You know, it’s such a profound place in my professional journey as well as in my personal journey. You guys not only watched me grow up, you helped me grow up. You really did. I was 18 years old playing Jimmy Connors at night giving him the beating that he deserved! Someone yelled out, “Jimmy, he’s a bum, you’re a legend!” and I remember thinking that I got the legend part, but what? Then fast forward and I got into something that I had done my whole life in front of those people and then down the road after my journey, saying goodbye when I finally retired.

LT: Well I mean, we have an exhibition coming up shortly today!

AA: Yeah, I was told about that! I’m ready!

LT: On that note, let’s bring in our 4 JOOLA Pros, Anna Bright, Collin Johns, Ben Johns, and JOOLA newcomer, Tyson McGuffin! Come on down here! So we’re going to ask our pros a few questions right now so that we can get to know them a little better and then we will head down to the Life Time Pickleball courts as we have a a whole stadium court set up. I wonder if you thought about that this morning Andre?

AA: Ok, I’ m nervous enough!

LT: I mean, it’s almost like a US Open crowd!

So starting off with Anna since you have a microphone in your hand, what excites you the most about pickleball?

ANNA BRIGHT: I think you know, it’s so cool that everybody is here to experience the joy of pickleball and to see us and to watch it! What I love most is the growth of it and not knowing where the sport is going to take us! When I first started playing 2 and a half years ago, I never thought that I would be here in NYC to play a tournament here to meet people and to talk about this game! There’s on way to really know how this game will look in a year or 2 years especially since you have the Pro level and I feel like we’re always kind of being pulled around on a chain by the powers that be, but it’s crazy to see the growth of the amateur game and I hope that we will be back here next year and will need more seating! I’m kind of excited and I don’t even know for what specifically, but I can’t wait to see where it goes in the next few years.

LT: Bright future, Anna Bright! Hopefully we will need more seating and have more people in here next year.

Tyson, I’ve watched you drill on the courts and a 2 hour session turns into a 3 hour session and I think that your T-shirts were more wet than is humanly possible. What are you working on to improve your pickleball game? More specifically, to beat these 3 people around you actually and to beat up on Mr. Agassi today?

TYSON MCGUFFIN: Yeah I think that for me, I have lost some top matches this year. So I think that walking in and raising the level mentally and being a little tougher in those moments. I think that at the highest level, we are all really talented and it’s just about that when the going gets tough and your back is against the wall, you just have to mentally lock in and dial in. I want to say thank you New York and let’s go New York Knicks!

LT: Collin, you’re a professional pickleball player. There was a time when you were not a professional pickleball player.

What advice would you give to somebody that is trying to be a professional pickleball player or what's one thing that was really integral in your path as you went Pro?

COLLIN JOHNS: Um, being Ben’s brother probably is a good start. The tennis journey, I did that for many years and then coming over to pickleball, I think that that just let me witness that I was playing a different sport. There are certain things that are going to help you as background significantly, but there are other things that you have to learn how to change. If you look at the players that have had the most success, especially relatively rapidly – they are very open to learning the game and that was really good for me. It was certainly a credit to the guy on my left that helped me along the way. But, the event today and one I did yesterday, it’s just amazing to see where the sport has grown since I started playing. I’m very excited about being here today.

LT: Speaking of the guy to your left, Ben, you’re the middle of 7 children! What was it like growing up? Was it constant sports and competition of those 7 kids? Who was the most competitive?

BEN JOHNS: Yeah, I grew up as 1 of 7 kids, but also 1 of the 2 boys as we have 5 sisters so it was primarily just sports with this guy. Pickleball is the only thing that I ever won. So, I’m really just taking my sweet time with it! He is 6 years older and it was very competitive. So when you have someone that much older than you, you just get used to losing at everything! But it was a great upbringing and I wouldn’t do it over in any other way. I was very grateful and it all led me here!

IG @bahram.akradi

@lifetime.life

@agassi

@annabright.pb

@benjohns_pb

@collinjohns_pb

@tysonmcguffin

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Life Time

Read the MAY ISSUE #101 of Athleisure Mag and see PICKLEBALL POWER in mag.

THE WORLD'S STRONGEST MAN 2024

On May 1st - May 5th, the 2024 SBD World’s Strongest Man took place in Myrtle Beach, SC. This competition took place with full stadium seating for attendees to enjoy all of the action that takes place during the competition. This event started back in 1977 and showcases athletes illustrating their commitment and epic feats of strength. Attendees also enjoyed Fan Fest where those without tickets to sit in the stadium area could enjoy food and retail vendors from the Myrtle Beach area as well as activations from official sponsors. They can watch the action via the jumbotron in the picnic area which allowed those in the community to enjoy and be part of it all for free.

We wanted to get some background on this event and chatted with Lindsey Landrum of sports management firm, IMG so that we can understand the history as well as what took place over the days of compeition. We also wanted to share information on some of the athletes that participated as well as they have their own stories, reasons for competing, and lead interesting lives in addition to competing! You’ll find interviews with: Rob Kearney, Eddie Williams, and The World’s Strongest Brothers, Luke and Tom Stoltman (he won this year’s WSM).

If you didn’t attend the event, you can see all the action this July on CBS Sports Network and CBS. Television coverage of the 2024 championship will be broadcast worldwide to more than 70 different countries and territories, totaling close to 500 million households. In the U.S., 2024 SBD World’s Strongest Man coverage will premiere on CBS Sports Network and CBS beginning this summer. Check local listings for the most updated information.

ATHLEISURE MAG: The World's Strongest Man launched in 1977, can you tell us about the ethos of this competition and what it is focused on?

LINDSEY LANDRUM: The World's Strongest Man is the world’s preeminent strongman competition, held annually since 1977. The competition sees the sport’s most dominant strength athletes compete for the title, from pulling trucks and buses, lifting and pressing logs, carrying 1,000 pounds on their shoulders and more - every event is designed to push the Strongmen to their absolute limits, challenging not only their physical strength, but their agility and mental toughness as well.

PHOTO COURTESY | Rich Storry/The World’s Strongest Man 2024

AM: How do athletes qualify to be able to compete?

LL: Athletes qualified for the competition through several different ways. There is the official qualifying series, Giants Live, which takes place across the UK & the US. While there are others that are nominated for the event and chosen from a selection committee.

AM: How does WSM connect to other Strongman competitions that are held in various countries?
LL: WSM connects to the global strongman events as they are all on the map from our WSM selection committee. The competition invites 30 athletes from around the world, so we look at all ranges of strength from every continent to truly find out who the strongest top 30 athletes are to compete head-to-head at World’s Strongest Man.
AM: What does the WSM winner receive?
LL: The World’s Strongest Man winner receives the prestigious title of becoming the “World’s Strongest Man”. This is the pinnacle for the sport of Strongman. They take home the title, the “Barry Frank Trophy” as well as prize money.

AM: What does WSM do throughout the year when this competition isn't taking place?

LL: The World’s Strongest Man takes place over four days of competition each year to determine the winner. While the competition is only four days, our social media platforms are extremely interactive year-round (1M followers on Instagram), CBS/CBS Sports Network is airing in the US in July/August (with re-runs happening year-round of previous years), Channel 5 is airing in the UK from Boxing Day to New Year’s Day and multiple other international broadcast partners airing the coverage around December. Athletes will continue competing at competitions globally to gain their ticket to come back to next year’s World’s Strongest Man.

AM: How does a new event within WSM get added in, as Sandbag Steeplechase was added this year?

LL: World’s Strongest Man is known for having not only some of the heaviest events in history but being one of the most creative events. It’s a competition that is typically held in an outdoor venue and we work diligently with the location to integrate as much of the city/location as we can. For instance, the sandbag steeplechase made it to incorporate sand, since we are competing in Myrtle Beach! Another example would be when WSM was in Botswana and their focus was on elephant conservation. The Stone Carry event that year had extremely heavy stones shaped to look like Elephant heads. Broadcast announcers and emcees at the event were able to help promote Botswana’s focus by discussing this while the athletes were competing. 

AM: Why was Myrtle Beach selected as the site for this year's event, and is there anything that you can tell us about next year's event?

LL: World’s Strongest Man selected Myrtle Beach for the second year in a row after a wonderful partnership began in 2023 with Visit Myrtle Beach and the city of Myrtle Beach. It is a unique destination that allows families to travel in not only for the event, but also as part of a vacation and enjoy the beach and all that the city has to offer. World’s Strongest Man is a family-friendly event that no matter if you are 5 years old or 95 years old, you are impressed by someone who is able to pull a plane or able to press 400+ pounds overhead!

We don't have any news we can share quite yet on next year’s event, but details will be released soon across our social media, including dates of the 2025 event. Follow @theworldsstrongestman on Instagram, @WorldsStrongest on Twitter and @theworldsstrongestman on Facebook, TikTok @TheWorldsStrongestMan, and YouTube @theworldsstrongestman for the most updated information.

PHOTO COURTESY | Rich Storry/The World’s Strongest Man 2024

AM: When did you realize that you loved fitness and sports?

ROB KEARNEY: I started playing baseball when I was young and it was my first love in terms of sports. In High School, when I started playing football, I was introduced to the weight room and lifting weights. From there, I began taking weight training seriously and ultimately made the decision to compete in powerlifting and strongman at the age of 17.

AM: I love that in highschool you played football as well as were a cheerleader during the winter season as well. Obviously, both are very physical. What did you learn from those experiences and what it takes to optimize yourself in both sports?

RK: From both sports I learned that hard work and being a student of the sport is what helps you succeed. It's not always about being the biggest athlete, but learning the best techniques and working hard to perfect those is what will set you apart from other athletes.

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to continue your fitness and athletic journey by participating in strength competitions like the Arnold Pro Strongman World Series you won in 2019?

RK: I did my first Strongman competition in 2009 as a senior in high school. I took last place but fell in love with the nature of the sport and the culture as well. When I attended college, I joined the Powerlifting team and decided to make competitive lifting a priority for me. In 2013, I won the Amateurn National Strongman Championship to turn Pro, and in 2017 made my first appearance at Worlds Strongest Man.

AM: In that same year that you won, you got married and Arnold Schwarzenegger himself celebrated your wedding! What did that mean to you?

RK: In 2019, my husband, Joey and I decided to get married when we planned a trip to Australia for me to compete in the Arnold Australia Pro Strongman World Series. A month prior to the trip, Joey suggested we get married while in Australia, to which I excitedly obliged. I was fortunate enough to win the competition and while receiving the trophy, I told Arnold we were getting married the next day. In an amazing turn of events, Arnold invited us to a chartered Yacht Tour of the City of Melbourne, AUS and dinner that evening after the wedding. It was a surreal experience to be able to celebrate our wedding day with the most influential person in the fitness space.

AM: How do you train to be able to compete in competitions of this nature?

RK: Training to be a strongman takes a lot of time and work in order to achieve the level of strength needed to compete at the highest level in the sport. Being strong in the basic power-lifts (bench, squat, deadlift and overhead press) are the building blocks to be a successful strongman. After that, you have to get experience on the strongman implements such as logs, circus dumbbells, farmers carries, yoke walks and so much more. Building the experience on these movements can be done both in training and competitions. A typical training day will last between 2-3 hours with longer sessions sometimes over 6 hours long.

AM: What does the World's Strongest Man mean to you and why have you been competing in this since 2017?

RK: World's Strongest Man is the Super Bowl of Strongman. It is the pinnacle of our sport and being able to compete at this competition solidifies yourself as one of the 30 strongest men in the world. It is a testament to your hard work and performance throughout the Strongman competitive season. Getting invited and qualifying to this competition is not something to be taken lightly and is a privilege to receive. 

AM: This year you competed, how do you qualify to be at WSM and what were the competitions that you were involved in?

RK: In 2023, I competed at the Giants Live World Deadlift Championships in Cardiff, Wales. In the full competition I tied for 3rd place. Giants Live is the official qualifying tour for Worlds Strongest Man and if you podium at a Giants Live Show, that qualifies you for the following years WSM.

AM: Tell me about the Knaack Tools of a Strongman and what did it mean to you to win this?

RK: Winning the Tools of a Strongman award was really special because it not only is an award that showcases the hard work and dedication of the winning athlete, but it is also voted on by the other competitors. To win an award that is voted on by your peers is really amazing because it shows that they see the hard work, love and dedication I have put into this sport over the past 15 years.

AM: This year is your final year competing as you are retiring, you have a number of accolades from 3X Arnold Strongman Competitor and you won the Car Walk at this year's WSM event, you've written a children's book, you overcame testicular cancer as well - what are you the most proud of?

RK: To be honest, I am proud of a lot of things, but being the First and Only Openly Gay Professional Strongman who led with love and perseverance is something I will cherish. I never shied away from showing my love to my husband, I never shied away from being my full authentic self and was met with nothing but love and acceptance from the Strongman Community. Being a fan favorite and an athlete who showed character can get you just as much as trophies is something I can hold my head high about as I leave the sport as a competitor.

AM: You and your husband opened CrossFit Iron Legacy, tell us about this gym and any other upcoming projects that you would like to share with us!

RK: My husband and I have been involved with Crossfit for years and this year in January, got the opportunity to open our own affiliate. We have been building the gym while also working other full time jobs, but it has been so amazing and rewarding. We have built an amazing community of people who are focused on living healthier, fitter lives while building friendships and having fun! Other than that, I also serve as a coach to HWPO Training, an online training platform where I run the "STRONG" Program, a fitness based strength program for all ability levels. Now that I am done competing as a strongman I am excited to lean into those other business ventures, and stay connected with Strongman both as a fan and a commentator.

PHOTO COURTESY | Rich Storry/The World’s Strongest Man 2024

AM: How did you come to Strongest Man competitions in general?

EDDIE WILLIAMS: There was a local competition that I signed up for, my friends always said how strong I was moving furniture around. So I decided to give it a go. I ended up winning the competition against guys who trained for it. So I decided to pursue the sport from then on! 

AM: What a day like working with you if were to train alongside you?

EW: I normally work all day doing security and then train for 3 hours afterwards. Training looks like, warming up, working up to my heavy sets on the program, event training and then heading home to my family.

AM: You are a 2X Australia's Strongest Man winner and a Southern Hemisphere Strongman Champion, tell us about competing at World's Strongest Man this year!

EW: It’s always the best experience competing at Worlds Strongest Man. I train hard to be able to compete at this level so it’s an honour to be considered one of the strongest men in the world. 

AM: What were your favorite competitions that you were in this weekend?

EW: The Webster stone walk was what I was looking forward to most. I love grip events, and I was able to set a World record for walking with the stones the furthest. The yoke is also one of my favourite events. I was really looking forward to the events that I’m normally weaker at. I’ve done a lot of work the last 12 months and I think I was able to prove to everyone that I’m improving and becoming a well rounded, consistent athlete. 

AM: In addition to you showcasing your strength, you're also known for singing as you were a finalist on Australia's Got Talent and you appeared on America's Got Talent! When did you realize that you like to sing?

EW: When I was about 15 years old, in high school I realised my love for singing. I grew up in a very musical family so music has always been such a big part of my life. 

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that you would like to share that we should keep an eye out for?

EW: Hoping to compete in a few more competitions this year. Other than that just focusing on work and spending time with my family. 

PHOTO COURTESY | Rich/StorryThe World’s Strongest Man 2024

LUKE STOLTMAN

AM: What draws you to Strongest Man competitions?

LS: I was always interested in strength training from a young age. My grandad on my father’s side was a really strong hard working man. There's an old photo of him carrying a log on his shoulder that was a real inspiration for me. My training went from bodybuilding concentrated to strongman later in my 20s when someone suggested I try it, it was instant love, the variety of it and unpredictability and moving these massive implements felt really cool.

AM: You and your brother compete in these competitions and you're known as the World’s Strongest Brothers. You have looked after him as a promise to your mother who passed away from cancer. What does it mean to you to watch him compete and to be able to have this shared experience??

LS: Tom is a phenomenon. I knew that early on from taking him to the gym - everything just seemed easy for him. I knew his potential early on and so did Mum. Whe was his biggest supporter through everything he did. There is nothing that makes me more proud and happier than seeing Tom at the top of the world and being discussed as one of the best to ever do the sport, to overcome what he has done in his life, to be here now is the stuff of Hollywood films and to be there alongside him competing in the same competitions makes it even more special. I may not have as many years left in the sport as him, but right now I'm savoring every moment we have. We are a formidable force together, and we use each other's energy in competitions and training to drive us to achieve as much as we can.

AM: You are a 2X Europe's Strongest Man in 2021 and again of April this year, what did it mean to you to win those titles?

LS: Like Tom getting his title back, it was special for me to know I could still mix it in the big competitions. I had also made a number of changes to my training, employed a new coach, worked to maximize recovery and we worked with a sports psychologist who had a huge impact on myself and Tom this year.

AM: How do you train to optimize yourself in these competitions?

LS: A lot is experience, having the right team around us, and consistently following the plans we make. It’s a real team effort. People might be surprised what it all takes. For example, we work with strength coaches, nutritionist, performance psychologist, clinical psychologist, physiologist, sports massage, chiropractor, on top of this we place a huge emphasis on recovery, which includes hot and cold water contrast therapy, hyperbaric chamber, sauna, infrared therapy, maximizing sleep environment, massage, mobility, the list goes on!

AM: For the World's Strongest Man competition this year, what are your favorite parts of the competition?

LS: I get a real buzz from being in this competition in particular. It’s the comp everyone wants to win and the most prestigious. I've been lucky to compete in nearly 10 WSM competitions, and hopefully a few more to come!

AM: You just welcomed a son, what are the firsts that you are looking forward to with him?

 LS: Hard to describe the emotions and joy Koa has brought. He is a constant source of energy for me and really drives me on to succeed in competition, business and life. I hope to still compete when he is at an age to remember, and just hope I can make him proud.

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that you would like to share that we should keep an eye out for?

LS: World domination! Haha! We are working hard on our business. Unfortunately, the prize money still isn’t great with the sport so we have to rely on sponsorships and we are working to build our brand. We have a clothing line, an online strength training academy, and we perform a number of talks which I particularly enjoy when covering subjects such as elite performance, overcoming adversity, mental health awareness, and our story.

PHOTO COURTESY | Rich Storry/The World’s Strongest Man 2024

TOM STOLTMAN

AM: You and your brother are very close and you're known as The World’s Strongest Brothers. What does it mean to you to be able to do what you love alongside your brother?

TS: We never thought it would be this way from when Luke took me to the gym all those years ago, and sometimes its hard to believe what we are doing for a job. It really is a dream. We are really close too which helps when you spend so much time together! 

AM: What's an average day like for you in training for these competitions?

TS: We train 4-5 days a week and sessions last between 2-5hrs depending on what stage we are at. In the run up to a competition, the event specific training days are the ones that take longer (3.5-5hrs). Recovery and rest is just as important, so we will ensure we have 2 days, usually weekends, off per week. There is a lot of eating too, to maintain our weight (I'm around 185kg) but still burn so many calories in long training sessions. We need to eat a lot! 

AM: What's it like competing against your brother in these competitions?

TS: It’s a real advantage, we have such a strong bond as I've said so I think it can be intimidating for the other competitors to see us together supporting each other between events. It's also really special to be able to do it together, so we try to savor every moment and make the most of it as we never know when our last comp together might be.

AM: What are your favorite events within the World Strongest Man competitions?

TS: All of them! My speciality is the atlas stones, but I don’t like to have favorites as the goal is to have no weaknesses and to embrace whatever events come up.

AM: You are now a 3X World Strongest Man with your win this weekend, you were the first Scottish winner in history with WSM, you're the first athlete with autism to win WSM, and in 2019 you and your brother were the first brothers to qualify for the WSM Final - what does it mean to you to have so many historic moments in this sport?

TS: It's an honor for sure but I try not to reflect on it too much at this stage in my career as I just keep focusing on what's next. I’m proud to be Scottish and win the title, but also where we are from in Scotland, we are from the Highlands, a very remote area, that makes me even more proud and to help show what can be achieved with limited resources and that’s the same with autism. I want people to see that you can achieve great things if you set your mind to it. I also hope to use the platform to educate people on it. There can be a stigma around it and people can call it a disability, and in general not understand it. But in truth, there can be positives about living with autism, and I want to inspire people to see that you can achieve great things. I called it my superpower after winning my first WSM title. At that point, I was no longer the autistic kid that was being held back. I had channeled it to help me focus on achieving my goal of becoming the world's strongest man.

AM: What do you enjoy about competing in WSM?

TS: Winning it! Haha! It’s a historic competition and such a prestigious title. We as a family would always watch it on TV at Christmas time so it's extra special to think back on those times and to be actually competing in the competition now, doing well and hopefully making my family proud too.

AM: How do you relax after coming off of a weekend like this?

TS: It's hard, it's such a buzz, but my team we work with and my family help keep me grounded. I like a quiet life outside the sport - spend time with my wife, walk the dogs and watch football really. That’s one good part of living in the Highlands of Scotland. It's nice and quiet, and beautiful scenery for walks. 

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for?

TS: Very early stages but we are talking to a well known LA film producer about the possibility of doing a film on our life story. That would be pretty exciting if it comes off, although they might struggle to find actors as big as me and Luke!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

AWARDS SEASON | 45TH SPORTS EMMY AWARDS NOMINATIONS

 Today, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) announced the 45th Annual Sports Emmy® Awards nominations as well as revealing the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, sports broadcaster James Brown. The ceremony will take place on Tuesday, May 21, at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall, Broadway at 60th Street, New York City. 

“This year’s sports broadcasting nominees produced thrilling and captivating television,” said Adam Sharp, President & CEO, NATAS. “We look forward to welcoming these exceptional professionals to the 45th Annual Sports Emmy Awards in May.”

“The Sports Emmy Awards are proud to recognize the outstanding work of this year’s nominees and to honor James Brown for his long and prolific career,” added Stephen Head, Head of Sports.

As we do throughout Awards Season, we share our predictions in bold, the ones we correctly identified as winners are in bold italics and winners that we didn’t predict are in italics. On the night of the event, we will share who we predicted correctly as well as those we didn’t that won.

OUTSTANDING LIVE SPECIAL

The Masters
        CBS

The 105th PGA Championship
        CBS

Super Bowl LVIII
        Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers
        CBS

Super Bowl LVIII
        Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers
        Nickelodeon
        [Nickelodeon Productions | CBS Sports | NFL Films]

The 119th World Series
        Texas Rangers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
        FOX

OUTSTANDING LIVE SERIES

FOX CFB
        FOX | FS1

FOX NFL
        FOX

Monday Night Football
        ABC | ESPN

Monday Night Football with Peyton & Eli
        ESPN2
        [Omaha Productions]

Sunday Night Football
        NBC | Peacock

OUTSTANDING PLAYOFF COVERAGE

American League Championship Series
        Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers
        FOX | FS1

College Football Playoff Semifinals
        Rose Bowl & Sugar Bowl
        ESPN

MLB Postseason on tbs
        tbs

NFL Championship
        Detroit Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers
        FOX

·NFL Playoffs on NBC
        NBC | Peacock

OUTSTANDING EDITED EVENT COVERAGE

All Access
        Davis vs. Garcia: Epilogue
        Showtime

·NFL Draft: The Pick Is In
        The Roku Channel
        [NFL Films | Skydance Sports]

NFL Game Day All Access
        Super Bowl LVIII
        YouTube
        [NFL Films]

Road To The Super Bowl
        CBS
        [NFL Films]

2023 Special Olympic World Games
        ABC

OUTSTANDING EDITED SPECIAL

Chasing Greatness: Coach K x LeBron
        TNT

Crown
        CBS Sports Network

E60
        The Crossover: 50 Years of Hip Hop and Sports
        ESPN
        [ESPN Films]

GR8TNESS
        ESPN

You Are Looking Live!
        CBS
        [NFL Films]

OUTSTANDING HOSTED EDITED SERIES

E60
        ESPN

Kickin’ It
        Paramount+ | Golazo Network

The Pivot Podcast
        YouTube

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
        HBO | Max

The Shop UNINTERRUPTED
        YouTube
        [UNINTERRUPTED]

OUTSTANDING ESPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP COVERAGE

BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023
        BLAST.tv
        [BLAST]

2023 Call of Duty League Championship Weekend
        New York Subliners vs. Toronto Ultra
        Twitch | YouTube
        [Esports Engine | Activision Blizzard]

Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023 Grand Finals
        ENCE vs. G2
        Twitch | YouTube
        [ESL FACEIT Group]

League of Legends Worlds 2023 Final
        T1 vs. Weibo Gaming
        LoLEsports.com | Twitch | YouTube
        [Riot Games]

VALORANT Champions 2023 Grand Final
        Paper Rex vs. Evil Geniuses
        ValorantEsports.com | Twitch | YouTube
        [Riot Games]

OUTSTANDING SHORT DOCUMENTARY

Dreamcaster
        MSG Network | MSG+
        [456 Studios | Lord + Thomas | DaHouse Audio | Citizen Music | Vicaps | Helo]

Extraordinary Stories
        One-Armed Wonder: The Extraordinary Story of Jimmy Hasty
        UEFA.tv
        [Noah Media Group]

NFL 360
        Gone
        NFL Network

NFL Films Presents
        Lahainaluna High
        FS1
        [NFL Films]

SC Featured
        Nothing Else Matters
        ESPN+

OUTSTANDING LONG DOCUMENTARY

The Deepest Breath
        Netflix
        [A24 | Motive Films | Ventureland]

Full Circle
        Vimeo On Demand
        [Level 1 Productions]

Kelce
        Prime Video
        [Amazon MGM Studios | Skydance | Vera Y Productions | 9.14 Pictures]

The Saint of Second Chances
        Netflix
        [Tremolo | Stampede Ventures]

Stand
        Showtime
        [SHOWTIME Sports Documentary Films | MSM]

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY SERIES

Catching Lightning
        Showtime
        [Bat Bridge Entertainment]

Goliath
        Showtime
        [Village Roadshow Television | Religion of Sports]

Super League: The War for Football
        Apple TV+
        [Words + Pictures | All Rise Films]

Untold
        Netflix
        [Propagate | Stardust Frames | RAW | The Players’ Tribune]

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY SERIES – SERIALIZED

Football Must Go On
        Paramount+

Formula 1: Drive to Survive
        Netflix
        [Box to Box Films]

Hard Knocks
        Training Camp With The New York Jets
        HBO | Max
        [NFL Films]

Monster Factory
        Apple TV+
        [Vox Media Studios | Public Record]

Quarterback
        Netflix
        [NFL Films | Omaha Productions | 2PM Productions]

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW – WEEKLY

College GameDay
        ESPN

FOX CFB: Big Noon Kickoff
        FOX | FS1

FOX NFL Sunday
        FOX

Inside the NBA on TNT
        TNT

The NFL Today
        CBS

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW – DAILY

MLB Tonight
        MLB Network

NBA Countdown
        ESPN | ESPN2

NFL Live
        ESPN | ESPN2

Pardon The Interruption
        ESPN
        [Rydholm Projects, Inc.]

SportsCenter
        ESPN

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW – LIMITED RUN

College GameDay
        College Football Playoff
        ESPN

FOX MLB: The Postseason
        FOX | FS1

Inside the NBA Playoffs on TNT
        TNT

Postseason NFL Countdown
        ESPN

Road to the Final Four
        CBS | TNT

OUTSTANDING JOURNALISM

CNN FlashDocs
        Blindsided
        CNN

E60
        Peace of Mind: Psychedelics in Sports
        ESPN

E60
        The Perfect Machine
        ESPN

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
        A Blind Eye: Switzerland and the Corruption of World Sport
        HBO | Max

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
        Call of Duty: How War is Destroying Ukrainian Sport
        HBO | Max

OUTSTANDING SHORT FEATURE

College GameDay
        The Legacy of Tyler Trent
        ESPN

NFL 360
        The Chief Who Walked The Sea
        NFL Network

NFL 360
        Heroes
        NFL Network

NFL 360
        Miracle
        NFL Network

The NFL Today: Super Bowl LVIII
        Just Win Baby!
        CBS

Sunday Night Football
        Madden & Stingley
        NBC | Peacock

Thursday Night Football
        Marshawn Lynch ‘N Yo City: Intercourse, PA (Yes, this is a real place)
        Prime Video
        [Amazon MGM Studios]

OUTSTANDING LONG FEATURE

Outside The Lines
        Jordan McNair: The Freedom Within
        ESPN

Playing Fields
        Ornella: Knocking Down Social Prejudices Pursuing Her Olympic Dream
        Olympic Channel

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
        No Surrender: One Man’s Battle with ALS
        HBO | Max

SportsCenter
        SC Featured: Dear Mrs. Reid
        ESPN

SportsCenter
        SC Featured: Running for Martin
        ESPN

Unredeemable
        Golf Channel

OUTSTANDING OPEN/TEASE

The 149th Kentucky Derby
        Timeless
        NBC | Peacock

Monday Night Football
        In the Air Tonight
        ESPN | ABC

NHL Winter Classic on TNT
        If This Wall Could Talk
        TNT

Sunday Night Football
        Heidi
        NBC | Peacock

Super Bowl LVIII
        My Way
        CBS

OUTSTANDING INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE

College Football Playoff MegaCast
        Rose Bowl Game
        ESPN | ESPN2 | ESPN Deportes | ESPNU | ESPNews | SEC Network | ESPN App | ABC | LHN

Fan Controlled Racing Watch Party
        Twitch | Kick
        [Fan Controlled Sports & Entertainment]

The Magic and Mastery of US Open Champion – Carlos Alcaraz
        ESPN.com

NCAA March Madness Live
        March Madness Live

Thursday Night Football
        Black Friday Football Studio
        Prime Video
        [Amazon MGM Studios]

Thursday Night Football
        Event Coverage Optionality/Customization
        Prime Video
        [Amazon MGM Studios]

OUTSTANDING DIGITAL INNOVATION

Big City Greens Classic
        Fully Animated Live Sporting Event With Integrated Real-Time Animated Talent
        ESPN+ | Disney Channel | Disney XD | Disney+
        [Beyond Sports | Silver Spoon Animation | Disney Television Animation]

Dreamcaster
        MSG Network | MSG+
        [Weber Shandwick | Helo]

MLB Next
        AR App
        MLB

Red Bull Erzbergrodeo
        Cross-Platform Storytelling with Broadcast, Web Widgets and AR App.
        Red Bull TV
        [Red Bull Media House | ProteGear | TeraVolt | Girraphic]

Thursday Night Football
        Machine Learning on Prime Vision
        Prime Video
        [Amazon MGM Studios]

OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY/STUDIO HOST

Malika Andrews
        ESPN | ESPN2 | ABC | TNT

Kevin Burkhardt
        FOX | FS1

Rece Davis
        ESPN

Ernie Johnson
        TNT | tbs

Scott Van Pelt
        ESPN | ESPN2 | ABC

OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY/PLAY-BY-PLAY

Mike Breen
        ABC

Joe Buck
        ESPN | ABC

Ian Eagle
        CBS | TNT | tbs

Kevin Harlan
        tbs | CBS | TNT | truTV

Mike Tirico
        NBC | Peacock

OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY/STUDIO ANALYST

Charles Barkley
        TNT

Nate Burleson
        CBS

Ryan Clark
        ESPN | ESPN2 | ESPN+ | ABC

Kirk Herbstreit
        ESPN

Mina Kimes
        ESPN | ESPN2 | ABC

OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY/EVENT ANALYST

Troy Aikman
        ESPN | ABC

Cris Collinsworth
        NBC | Peacock

Greg Olsen
        FOX

Bill Raftery
        CBS | TNT

John Smoltz
        FOX | FS1

Tom Verducci
        FOX | FS1 | MLB Network

OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY/SIDELINE REPORTER

Erin Andrews
        FOX

Kaylee Hartung
        Prime Video | NBC | Peacock

Tom Rinaldi
        FOX | FS1

Holly Rowe
        ESPN | ESPN2 | ABC

Tracy Wolfson
        CBS | TNT

OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY/EMERGING ON-AIR

Mookie Betts
        Bleacher Report | tbs | FOX

Noah Eagle
        NBC | Peacock

Carli Lloyd
        FOX | FS1

Taylor Rooks
        TNT | NBA TV | Bleacher Report | Amazon

Jay Wright
        CBS | CBS Sports Network | TNT

OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL TEAM EVENT

The Masters
        CBS

NASCAR on NBC
        Chicago Street Race
        NBC

Super Bowl LVIII
        CBS

Thursday Night Football
        Prime Video
        [Amazon MGM Studios]

2023 US Open
        ESPN | ESPN2 | ESPN+ | ABC

OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL TEAM STUDIO

FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023
        FOX | FS1

FOX NFL
        Stage A
        FOX

NFL Draft
        ESPN | ABC

The NFL Today
        Super Bowl LVIII
        CBS

Thursday Night Football
        Prime Video
        [Amazon MGM Studios]

OUTSTANDING CAMERA WORK – SHORT FORM

The 155th Belmont Stakes
        31 Lengths: Secretariat
        FOX

NFL 360
        Heroes
        NFL Network

NFL Films Presents
        Optex Lens
        FS1
        [NFL Films]

The NFL Today: Super Bowl LVIII
        Just Win Baby!
        CBS

Super Bowl LVIII
        My Way
        CBS

OUTSTANDING CAMERA WORK – LONG FORM

E60
        Sacred Dog
        ESPN

Freeride Skiing
        Descendance
        YouTube
        [Legs of Steel]

Hard Knocks
        Training Camp With The New York Jets
        HBO | Max
        [NFL Films]

Unredeemable
        Golf Channel

Vamos Vegas
        YouTube

OUTSTANDING EDITING – SHORT FORM

The 149th Kentucky Derby
        Timeless
        NBC | Peacock

NFL 360
        The Chief Who Walked The Sea
        NFL Network

NFL 360
        Heroes
        NFL Network

NHL on TNT
        Show and Tell
        TNT

Super Bowl LVIII
        My Way
        CBS

OUTSTANDING EDITING – LONG FORM

Freeride Skiing
        Descendance
        YouTube
        [Legs of Steel]

Hard Knocks
        Training Camp With The New York Jets
        HBO | Max
        [NFL Films]

Kelce
        Prime Video
        [Amazon MGM Studios | Skydance | Vera Y Productions | 9.14 Pictures]

Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team
        Netflix
        [Words + Pictures | FIFA | Time Studios]

Unredeemable
        Golf Channel

THE DICK SCHAAP OUTSTANDING WRITING AWARD – SHORT FORM

FOX CFB: Big Noon Kickoff
        J.J. McCarthy “47”
        FOX

NFL 360
        The Chief Who Walked The Sea
        NFL Network

NFL 360
        Still Here
        NFL Network

The NFL Today
        Kyle Brandt Series
        CBS

Sunday Night Football
        NBC | Peacock

OUTSTANDING WRITING – LONG FORM

All Access
        Showtime

Chasing Gold
        Farebersviller
        NBC

E60
        The Crossover: 50 Years of Hip Hop and Sports
        ESPN
        [ESPN Films]

Hard Knocks
        Training Camp With The New York Jets
        HBO | Max
        [NFL Films]

The World According to Football
        Showtime
        [SHOWTIME Sports Documentary Films | Religion of Sports |
        Day Zero Productions | Mainstay Entertainment]

OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION

E60
        The Crossover: 50 Years of Hip Hop and Sports
        ESPN
        [ESPN Films]

E60
        Sacred Dog
        ESPN | ESPN+
        [Showtime Singers]

The Golden Boy
        HBO | Max
        [Unrealistic Ideas | ViaMar Productions]

NBA on TNT
        50 Years of Hip Hop
        TNT

Super Bowl LVIII
        My Way
        CBS

OUTSTANDING AUDIO/SOUND – LIVE EVENT

FOX MLB
        FOX | FS1

FOX NASCAR
        FOX | FS1

Little League World Series
        ESPN | ESPN2 | ABC

NASCAR on NBC
        NBC | USA

Sunday Night Baseball
        ESPN | ESPN2

Sunday Night Football
        NBC | Peacock

Super Bowl LVIII
        CBS

OUTSTANDING AUDIO/SOUND – POST-PRODUCED

Formula 1: Drive to Survive
        Netflix
        [Box to Box Films | Netflix]

FOX NASCAR: RACE HUB
        The Championship: Radioactive
        FS1
        [NASCAR Studios]

2023 IRONMAN World Championship
        Outside TV
        [The IRONMAN Group Productions]

McGregor Forever
        Netflix
        [Religion of Sports]

NFL 360
        Heroes
        NFL Network

Quarterback
        Netflix
        [NFL Films | Omaha Productions | 2PM Productions]

Vamos Vegas
        YouTube
        [TORQ]

OUTSTANDING GRAPHIC DESIGN – EVENT/SHOW

FOX NFL
        FOX

Monday Night Football
        ESPN | ESPN2 | ESPN+ | ABC
        [Elastic Creative]

NBA Finals
        ESPN | ABC
        [Two Fresh Creative | Panoply]

Super Bowl LVIII
        CBS

Toy Story Funday Football
        DISNEY+ | ESPN+
        [BIG Studios | Beyond Sports | Silver Spoon Animation | PIXAR]

OUTSTANDING GRAPHIC DESIGN – SPECIALTY

MLB Network Showcase
        This Is What I Live For
        MLB Network
        [Perception]

NFL 360
        The Chief Who Walked The Sea
        NFL Network

Super League: The War for Football
        Apple TV+
        [Words + Pictures | All Rise Films]

Thursday Night Football
        TNF Show Open / Black Friday Football: Robert Randolph
        Prime Video
        [Amazon MGM Studios]

Toy Story Funday Football
        Duke Caboom Daredevil Spectacular
        DISNEY+ | ESPN+

OUTSTANDING STUDIO OR PRODUCTION DESIGN/ART DIRECTION

The 155th Belmont Stakes
        31 Lengths: Secretariat
        FOX

FOX NFL
        Stage A
        FOX

Super Bowl LVIII
        My Way
        CBS

Thursday Night Football
        Black Friday Football Tradition Tease; TNF Show
        Prime Video
        [Amazon MGM Studios]

Toy Story Funday Football
        DISNEY+ | ESPN+
        [BIG Studios | Beyond Sports | Silver Spoon Animation | PIXAR]

THE GEORGE WENSEL TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The Masters
        TFC Compound Connect
        CBS

2023 MLB Home Run Derby
        StatCast Edition: Live Virtual 3D Event Coverage
        ESPN2

Monday Night Football with Peyton & Eli
        Peyton Manning’s AR Table
        ESPN2
        [Omaha Productions]

Thursday Night Football
        TNF Table Talk
        Prime Video
        [Amazon MGM Studios | Girraphic]

Toy Story Funday Football
        DragonFly Tech
        DISNEY+ | ESPN+
        [NFL | Next Gen Stats | Beyond Sports | Hawk-Eye]

OUTSTANDING PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT

FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023
        USA vs The World
        FOX

The Golden Boy
        Who Am I?
        HBO | Max
        [Zealot UK]

2023 NBA Finals
        We Are All in the Finals
        NBA Social

Stanley Cup
        First Kiss
        NHL Network

Top Rank Boxing on ESPN
        Battle of the Baddest | Rumble
        ESPN | ESPN+
        [Park Pictures]

OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVICE CONTENT

FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023
        Common Goal
        FOX | FS1

Hometown Hopefuls
        NBC | NBCSports.com

NFL on CBS
        Football for Everyone
        CBS | CBS Sports Network

Notre Dame Football
        What Would You Fight For?
        NBC

Youth Flag Football
        Let’s Play
        NFL Network

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW IN SPANISH

Ahora o Nunca
        ESPN Deportes

2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup
        Telemundo

Fuera de Juego
        ESPN+

Futbol Central
        Verano de Campeones
        Univision | TUDN

Republica Deportiva
        Univision | TUDN

Sunday Night Football
        Telemundo

OUTSTANDING FEATURE STORY IN SPANISH

Balon de Oro de la Liga MX
        Tigres – Powerchair
        Univision | TUDN

E60
        Mayra
        ESPN | ESPN+

Mundo NFL Originals
        El Sueño de Cieneguitas
        Mundo NFL
        [Sway | Mundo NFL]

SportsCenter
        In Her Shoes: Wang Shuang
        ESPN Deportes

SportsCenter
        SC Reportajes: Do Bronx – Charles Oliveira
        ESPN Deportes

OUTSTANDING ON-AIR PERSONALITY IN SPANISH

Alejandro Berry
        Univision | TUDN

Andrés Cantor
        Telemundo

Carolina Guillén
        ESPN Deportes

Miguel Gurwitz
        Telemundo

Rebeca Landa
        ESPN Deportes

Valeria Marin
        Univision | TUDN